Natsu's Efforts
by Werewolfhunter16
Summary: Natsu makes a mistake on a mission, or rather a few, and is determined to make it up to the very scary mage he had angered. But he wasn't really good at noticing she wasn't all that angry. Natza.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Small little note here. This is my first Fairy Tail piece and I would like to say a few things. One, Natza is easily my new otp. Two, apologies if any of the characters are OOC, bit difficult to get certain characters to act the right way on paper. And three is that this show is too good. Please enjoy.**

 **Key If Needed:**

 **"Attacks"**

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

* * *

When she came to her senses, the first thing she noticed was the burning sensation all over her body, the migraine, from actual trauma or just recovering consciousness she didn't know, and the repugnant smell of ash and the choking sensation that came along with it. If it weren't for the ash and loud ringing in her ears, then she would have been able to hear off in the distance shouts of worry and urgency. Everything else wouldn't come to her because the only thing she could see was the person in front of her.

"Enjoy our little fight? Eh, Scarlet?" The figure above her said. Driving his foot into the destroyed remains of whatever armor she happened to be wearing and eliciting a loud cry of pain from the woman. Even though she could only see a faint glowing orange outline of the triumphant bastard on top of her, she knew exactly who it was and it broke her heart.

"N...Natsu...please..." Erza pleaded. He'd never called her by her last name before that she could remember. That really should have been the first warning.

In response to her pleas, the gleeful expression on Natsu's face turned into one of rage as his eyes practically glowed with his fury; driving his foot even harder into the battered remains of her chestpiece, causing her to scream out in pain again.

"'Natsu please!' You sound pathetic Scarlet! After all the times you've beaten me, hit me, attacked me, over the most trivial of bullshit, you expect me to just ignore it? I did for a while but I don't care anymore! I've enjoyed this far more than I should have. But I'm thinking that if the guild doesn't back me up then I might have to show them why they should." The livid dragon slayer spat out. The venom dripping from his words as he drove his foot into her destroyed body during his entire speech; leaving her screaming in agony the entire time.

"Man that sounds like it hurts. Easily four or five broken ribs." Natsu said, switching the tone in his voice almost instantly to one of mild boredom with a hint of curiosity. Almost like he hadn't obviously been the very person to give her those injuries.

The pain was unbearable, it wasn't the worst pain she had ever experienced, but it was easily the worst it had made her feel. A horrifying realization gripped her when her screams of torment refused to make him stop his devious ministrations for even a moment.

 _'He's going to kill me...Natsu is going to kill me...'_ Erza thought to herself, unable to stop the tears from streaming down her face or the screams that agonized her throat and made it hoarse.

After what seemed like an eternity, Natsu lifted his foot off of her chest. Giving her a moment of respite. But the pain still blocked out all her other senses and nearly made her lose consciousness again.

"I believe I'm done."

* * *

Three Days Prior

* * *

The day started out the same as every other day, a brawl. It was the only thing this guild did. Fight, party, get drunk, and repeat. Twenty four hours a day, but, on this rare occasion, the main instigators of the daily brawls were absent. Along with the enforcer that seemed to almost take pleasure in breaking up the more minor and petty squabbles because all three of them were on a mission together.

All though, the place was more destroyed. No one seemed to mind, even Makarov didn't care, but at a second glance it was obvious he was too smashed to care about the cost of repairing the most recent damage. He would later though, god knows how much he'll care later.

"We're back..." An exhausted and hungry Team Natsu droned out as they entered the guild hall. Causing a few people to begin whispering to each other.

"Why are they so tired?"

"That wasn't supposed to be a hard mission was it?"

"How long were they gone again?"

"Dude, look at Natsu's face."

A few comments like those were said around for a while until an exhausted dragon slayer just passed out on the floor. Knocking a table over on the way down, causing everyone to softly laugh to themselves at how fast and loud he began snoring.

"We're back master." The female mage droned out. The mission wearing every member of the team down.

"You three look quite tired. Anything in particular happen on this mission? Natsu looked like he's taken a bit of a beating." The master, Makarov, asked. The small, almost unnoticeable, blush on his face from his buzz.

While Titania explained the events of the mission to their master, one ice mage ordered the strongest beer and groaned with immense satisfaction of getting off of his feet as well as the soothing drink he was about to order more of.

"Gray, what happened to Natsu?" Asked a blond haired celestial wizard. Desperately trying to ignore the obvious affection a certain celestial spirit had for her, a sweatdrop appearing on her head as he became somewhat desperate.

The, now topless ice wizard paused, imagining the event again in his head and nearly choking on his drink in a fit of his own laughter. "He...haha...he accidentally..." Gray attempted to say, still trying to control the laughter and fighting back the tears in his eyes.

"Yes Gray, it is unmanly to keep secrets about your teammates." A much larger man beside him said.

"Yeah...I'm curiosh too." An extremely drunk brunette card mage slurred. Easily on the third or fourth barrel of hard liquor of the day.

"Okay! Okay." Gray began, taking a moment to calm the laughter before beginning again. "That...fucking idiot...accidentally kissed Erza and ate her cake in the same day." He couldn't control it any longer before breaking out into such of an immense fit of laughter that he fell out of his chair. Sounding more like he was choking in order to get the air back into his longs before spitting it back out again.

"Oh my god..." Everyone at the table had stopped everything, looking at the ice mage and then to Natsu, and then back to Gray before bursting out laughing themselves. The rest of the guildmates ignoring them as they had assumed Gray had simply told a joke since they had missed the conversation.

"How is he still alive!" Lucy bellowed out. Laughing with tears coming out of her eyes and pounding her fist on the table repeatedly.

"Waddya mean? I thought *hic* Erza liked Natsu..." The drunk slurred out again, finally passing out for the day.

Due to her immense misunderstanding to everything while drunk, Cana's comment was largely ignored and only added to the groups laughter.

What Erza had actually said that Cana was attempting to quote was "Natsu was easily her most treasured comrade."

But, unfortunately for Gray, Natsu must not have been as tired as he looked. Standing over the laughing ice mage with cold blooded fury in his eyes. A look only reserved for the most severe beatings.

"You told everyone!" The furious dragon slayer nearly yelled. His eyes covered with a red mist that screamed kill.

To his credit, Gray realized how angry Natsu actually was and how much he actually deserved the beating.

To bad he still decked him in the face so he could still say Natsu got lucky.

Enraged, Natsu slammed his fire enhanced fist into the mage's stomach causing him to double over before lifting him by his legs and shouting out his brand new move he made up on the spot.

 **"Secret Dragon Slayer Art: Powerbomb!"** He yelled at the top of his lungs as he drove Gray viciously through the table and sending everyone's drinks flying.

Once the dust settled, an angry Natsu stood over a dazed Gray. Natsu was about to deliver the finishing blow before a punch landed across his face that had him doing pirouettes on the spot.

"That felt familiar..." He said before falling flat on his back, out cold.

Everyone became dead silent and immediately the table they were drinking at was fixed. Gray was still out cold himself underneath it when they realized who exactly had knocked Natsu out.

"You destroyed my cake again..." Erza the demon spat out. One of the drinks that was sent flying sitting comically on Erza's head. A quick glance would show that another one had landed unceremoniously on Erza's cake. Grabbing the unconscious mage by his hair and dragging him outside the guild where every member began cringing at the assumed remains, if there were any, that would walk in once Erza was through with him.

* * *

Several Hours Later

* * *

Around the time funeral arrangements were wrapping up, Erza strolled through the doors whistling a jaunty little tune to herself and sat down at the bar and immediately Mirajane, who had already prepared for this, placed a fresh slice of strawberry cheesecake in front of Erza, of which she began eating almost instantly.

Gray had moved to the bar a little while after Erza had dragged Natsu out of the guild unconscious and had already been filled in once he had awoken. His brain warned him to stay silent but his curiosity had gotten the better of him.

"So what did you do to flame face?" He asked, nursing the burn mark Natsu had recently given him.

 _'I'm going to freeze his balls off for that.'_ Gray thought to himself maliciously.

"The worst punishment I could think of." She stated firmly and simply. Munching away on her delicious snack while only a few crumbs bounced off of Heart Kreuz armor. Of which she caught and delicately popped them back into her mouth.

"So...what did you do?" It felt like she was dodging the question. But she wasn't telling him to stop the conversation yet.

"Walk outside and look to the left. I think you'll like this punishment, after all, he was fighting." She said, the corners of her mouth sticking up in bliss as the strawberry danced across her tongue. Before giving him a death glare that sent a chill up his spine.

"Don't think I won't forget your punishment either for telling what happened between Natsu and I." Erza said flatly. If that news spread that Natsu had gotten her first kiss, she would have Gray's balls on a pike.

Somewhere in a desert, Juvia had an overwhelming sense of dread fill her entire being.

"Yes sir..." Gray mumbled to himself, walking out of the guild with his head held low.

No one really noticed him leave, but everyone heard him shout in pure happiness.

"OH FUCK YES!"

"NOO! NOT YOU!"

"COME HERE YOU FIERY DOUCHE!"

Many heard the exchange of words, but what finally got everyone to come outside was magic being cast.

 **"Ice Make: Hammer!"**

Once everyone was outside, an incredible sight was bestowed upon them.

Natsu was now part of the ground twitching in pain with a completely blank look on his face, signifying he was unconscious, with a sign next to him that read 'One jewel per strongest spell testing dummy. (Limit one per person.)

The best part was easily the absolute heaven on Gray's face as he felt the debris from his strike rain down on him as he stretched his arms out and basked in the afterglow of being able to freely hit Natsu as hard as he wanted. It felt beyond good, it was indescribable by words.

Everyone began their ritual of pointing and laughing at the situation he had gotten himself into by destroying Erza's cake.

"Way to take your punishment Natsu!" Many members of the guild yelled something along these lines.

But during the commotion, Erza had walked outside and simply stood next to the sign until everyone's attention was finally focused on her before she spoke.

"I'm beyond happy that you took up the offer Gray, but I must ask why you decided you could break my rules. It says clearly that you must place the money in the basket before striking Natsu. Which you haven't done." Erza stated, deliberately crossing her arms and adding false anger towards her teammate.

Gray bowed so deep and fast that his head bounced off of the ground. "Please forgive me Erza!" He began. "For bestowing upon me this great gift of nature I will pay you ten times the actual cost for my arrogance."

Erza paused to consider the offer before sighing dramatically. "I will accept your compromise."

Gray got up and gave her the ten jewels as formally as he could. But Erza stopped him with an offended look on her face. "This is not what we agreed upon. We agreed upon ten times the amount. Not this."

Gray was now very confused, as was the rest of the guild behind him. "But the cost is only one jewel right?"

"No it says clearly..." Erza began with a smirk on her face as turned around smacked the sign. causing parts off the sign to fall off and reveal the real price to strike Natsu.

"It costs one million jewel to hit Natsu, and you agreed to pay ten times that for your arrogance."

Everyone's faces went blank, but none went blanker than Gray's.

"T-T-T-Ten million j-j-jewels." Gray stuttered out, falling to the ground and staring up the demonically smiling Erza.

"Get to work."

Throughout the entire ordeal, Natsu could be seen with the smallest of 'fuck you' smiles on his face.

* * *

Midnight

* * *

Once midnight came around the only ones left at the guild were Natsu and Erza, and due to Natsu's punishment, would have to stand at the guild every day for a week holding that sign with the price reduced to one hundred thousand jewels. He had seven hundred thousand in the box next to him.

"Good night Natsu. Rest well if you can." She said with an all to innocent smile.

"Erza, can we talk?" Natsu's voice was dead serious. Something he only rarely did, so Erza decided to hear him out.

"I'm sorry about what happened during the mission." He began, unsure of where to start to make it up to the red haired mage.

Erza stopped and walked up next to him so they weren't so far apart while they spoke. "I'm very well aware of that. You made that perfectly clear all the way back and I hold no ill will towards the destruction of my cake."

"That's not what I mean and you know it." He countered immediately, he was a bit slow, but he had had all day to think about how he would apologize.

Despite saying she holds no ill will towards Natsu, it was clear from the change in her posture and tone that she did. "I do not wish to speak of this Natsu. Good night."

"Wait-" Natsu attempted to say before being cut off by an angry Erza.

"I said good night!" She turned to leave, but before she was out of earshot Natsu yelled.

"I'm sorry I stole your first kiss from Jellal!" Despite knowing nothing about love, he knew Erza loved the blue haired man. And he had felt horrible knowing that she couldn't share that with him.

His words had the desired effect, she stopped walking. But she gave him a terrifying glare before getting right up in his face.

"Fine. I accept your apology about kissing me by accident. I wasn't even mad that you did! I wanted to have my first kiss be special, I don't care who it was with. That's why I was upset with you on the way back, because you kept avoiding me." Why was she so angry that Natsu misunderstood their kiss? She meant to lightly correct him not tear his head off.

Despite his fear, Natsu didn't back down. "Then let me make it up to you. I hurt one of my comrades and that hurts me too. So please let me make it up to you!" He asked, nearly getting down and begging.

"You don't need to make it up to me Natsu. Calm down." Erza said, calming down and lifting her arms and placing them on the dragon slayer's shoulders in order to try and bottle up his excitement; she was unable to keep the small pleased smile off of her face at how committed he was with his apology though.

Natsu crossed his arms and pouted, refusing to budge on the topic until Erza sighed in resignation. "Fine, what do you want to do?"

Natsu beamed at her response before grabbing her hand and in a rush walking her off through Magnolia, leaving the woman flustered at his sudden boldness.

A short pleasant walk later, Natsu and Erza arrived in front of the bakery where Erza bought her cakes with a big stupid smile. "Since I've destroyed two cakes today, go nuts." He said, entering the store and placing his hands behind his head. Never dropping his smile once.

"I don't know what I was expecting." She mumbled to herself, smiling, before ordering some cakes to go and one slice for the wait. Once she had her slice, the two of them sat down at a table and began chatting as if the two of them had never left the guild.

"More straightforward than I had anticipated, but this is you I'm talking about so this will definitely do." She said before popping another mouthful of her favorite food in her mouth.

"Eh? I don't get it. What do you mean straightforward?" Natsu asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Oh I just thought you'd go a little crazy since you wanted me to come along so bad. You always go after everything a little crazily. You should have just told me we were coming to get cake. I would have come immediately." Erza clarified, licking some of the frosting off of her finger before frowning at the stubborn frosting and sucking it off of her finger and grinning victoriously while inspecting the finger she just removed from her mouth.

He didn't know what she did, but he really liked it for some reason. "I'm not just taking you cake shopping. After this I want to show you something I found the other day but was too busy to tell you."

Ah, there it was. There was the rest of the night. Despite herself, she began feeling excited at spending a little more time with Natsu and his attempt at an apology. "And what would that be?"

Before he could answer, Erza's special order was ready and he left his seat to pay for them and carry them back to their table. He handed half of the stack to Erza before leaving the store; he didn't answer her earlier inquiry yet in order to keep it as a surprise.

The two walked in pleasant silence before Natsu stopped suddenly and looked around.

"Natsu? Why'd you stop?" Erza asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"You didn't hear that? I...I have to go." Natsu said suddenly, handing her the cakes roughly before running off through the town.

"Natsu!" She called out, wanting to reach out and stop him but found herself nearly dropping the precious cakes in her hand.

He didn't respond and seconds later he was lost in the crowd. Leaving a confused and baffled Erza behind.

* * *

 **A/N: Done, there will be three or four chapters to this story. Three if I really get in the mood, four if not. Leave any questions or comments wherever and I hope you enjoyed.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Oops, I put the unedited chapter up by mistake. Going to change the names from now on so that doesn't happen again. Anyway, there isn't much to say here other than I'm deliberately keeping some things in the dark. Enjoy.**

 **Key if Needed:**

 **"Spells"**

 _'Thoughts'_

"Speech"

* * *

"NATSU!"

"GRAY!"

The two mages shouted as they charged, tossing their magic carelessly at each other, enraged.. One from wounded betrayal, and the other for the sheer thrill. It was a frantic battle, one Gray could tell he would probably lose without a lot of luck.

Gray swore to himself before coating his hands in ice using them to bat Natsu's flame soaked ones without burning his own. But even with his protection, Natsu's flames were so intensely hot that it melted away the ice as fast as he could make it, spreading boiling water and steam all over the two of them.

Gray punched Natsu in the stomach, making the man pause long enough for Gray to jump backwards and put some distance between the two. Smacking his fist onto his open palm, he gathered his magic before having to roll to the side of an angry fire charged punch.

There was a small break in the fight as Natsu slowly stood in the dust cloud he had just created, staring off into a random direction away from his opponent. The panting Gray looked on in horror as lightning and fire suddenly sparked up around the dragon slayer, blasting away all the debris and dust around him before turning a excited grin towards the ice mage. The burning forest around them creating a terrifying backdrop in combination with the red eyes that Natsu now stared at him with.

"You always were a pain in the ass." Natsu muttered, just audible enough for him to hear.

"What happened to you? This...this can't be real! If I hadn't showed up you would have killed her!" Gray yelled angrily, motioning to the unconscious Erza nearly buried in the ground with one of her own swords covered in ice buried blade first just next to her head. All of his fear had been forgotten in the wake of his anger.

"And she didn't deserve it? She's been a controlling bitch over both of our lives since we were children. Of all people you should understand-" Natsu was cut off the ice mage's spell, sending hundreds of small ice lances towards him almost instantly and catching the wizard off guard.

Eyes widening in surprise, Natsu had no choice but to simply block the strike to the best of his ability and tank it as well as he could. While Natsu was pinned down by his lances, Gray created blades of ice jutting out of his forearms and suddenly appeared right in front of Natsu's face, an enraged look on his own face in stark contrast to Natsu's worried one.

 **"Ice Blade: Seven Slice Dance!"** Gray shouted, his fury moving through his limbs and making him strike Natsu harder than he'd ever hit anyone before.

Staring at the downed dragon slayer, exhaustion made itself known throughout his body, even before Natsu had been going one hundred percent, he'd landed several agonizing punches and kicks that could have ended their fight had he not been so angry.

"Maybe that'll knock some sense into your stupid head. Whatever issues you and Erza have, don't you try and bring me into it. The hell is wrong with you anyway? Pulling out that 'Lightning Dragon' of yours." Gray would have continued but Erza was in critical condition and needed his help more than Natsu needed an ass whooping.

Throwing the rubble on top of her away, he looped Erza's arm around his shoulder, since he lacked the physical strength at the moment to carry her wholly on his own. But when he turned around, Natsu was now standing right in front of him, no longer in a cocky or battle ready mood.

Natsu. Was. Pissed.

Lightning and flame coiled around him again, but this time his entire left hand was covered with lightning and his right was covered in his flames. His eyes were completely blood red and the veins in his forehead bulged dangerously as he furiously launched his spell at the two of them. Tearing up the pathway on the ground in search for its target, violently tearing through everything in its way.

 **"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"**

 _'Shit! Natsu you…'_ Gray didn't have the time to dodge, he was only able to throw Erza out of the way before taking the brunt of it himself.

Gray agonizing scream resounded across the field where they battled before it suddenly stopped and a badly burned and shocked Gray plummeted onto the ground and laid still, barely alive with a steaming dragon slayer standing victorious.

Natsu walked over and lifted Gray by his throat, hearing a pained groan leave his mouth. "I'll deal with you later. So you just sit there and watch what happens."

With that said, Natsu tossed the beaten ice mage a good distance away, missing the agonizing look on his face after he stopped rolling. Slowly, Natsu's deathly stare came to rest on the requip user that had regained consciousness and was now staring at him; an unreadable expression on her face.

"You back on your feet?" He questioned, before walking up and hoisting Erza by the throat just as he had done with Gray. Except Erza simply stared at him and made no pained noises.

"You've tried to kill me twice. Explain-" She wasn't able to keep speaking as Natsu had struck her in the stomach hard enough to spit blood back up.

"I guess it's to be expected. You and I have gotten up and fought way past the point where we should have given up countless times." He said, reminiscing in the memories of their many past battles before grinning viciously and tightening his grip on her throat as she tried to pry him off.

But even as he increased the pressure on her throat, a small victorious smirk grew on her face.

"What're you smiling about?"

* * *

Two Days Prior

* * *

Erza sat happily at her team's table, calmly eating away at some delicious cake and listening to Gray's tale of his latest mission to repay his debt and Lucy's constant complaining about her rent and how Loke keeps appearing in her room at night. Erza herself had been unable to sleep at all the previous night thanks to the sudden stop of her and Natsu's date.

 _'Was that a date? He asked me to go somewhere with him, we ate, and we chatted. Yes, I believe that was a date.'_ Erza thought to herself, listing off last night's events on her fingers one by one. She didn't notice it, but her cheeks had suddenly changed to nearly as dark as her hair until she reeled it back by eating a piece of cake.

 _'All though, I'm worried about Natsu. He is an extremely strong mage, and can take care of himself, but I can't help but wonder why he suddenly ran off.'_ She had planned to ask him the second she walked in the guild but he was nowhere inside.

This lead to a slightly embarrassing moment when Erza knocked the guild doors open and loudly yelled for the absent pink haired wizard. Leading to Mirajane loudly proclaiming that he wasn't here and that her boyfriend would be here soon.

As embarrassed as she was at that comment, she couldn't stop from letting the images flow in her head of being Natsu's girlfriend. Of eating dinner together in a classy restaurant, staring at the stars together, him passionately kissing her before taking her to the bedroom…

Erza blushed heavily again, Natsu wasn't even here and she was fantasizing about him. _'I have got to stop reading smut before bed.'_

Erza would just chalk up the other times she had let her mind wander on Natsu to boredom.

But her teammate noticed Erza's absentmindedness and became curious. "Erza. Erza!" Lucy said, snapping her fingers in front of the red haired woman when she failed to get her attention.

Coming out her trance, Erza absentmindedly began eating her cake again. "Did you say something Lucy?" She asked finishing the last piece of her treat.

"Uh, yeah kind of. You've been staring off into nowhere for like three minutes blushing like a teenager. You feeling okay?" If it were anyone else, Lucy would have thought Erza was still embarrassed about being called Natsu's girlfriend. But it was Erza and no one was stupid enough to make a joke about it.

You know, except for Gray.

"She's just fantasizing about Natsu obviously." Despite it being a joke, he was actually pretty certain that that was the case. Erza had looked a lot like Juvia looked when she thought about him.

Lucy could only gape wordlessly at Gray's courage. Slowly, and frightfully she looked over at Erza's face for a small premonition of what was to come.

"You are correct Gray. Natsu has me a little worried after last night." She simply stated, staring at Lucy's red face confused.

"Knew it." Gray said simply, somehow losing his shirt in the moments between his comment and Erza's answer.

"Erza…what were you fantasizing about?" Lucy couldn't help it, she was way too curious to not pry for information.

However, Erza sent a frightening glare that silenced Lucy who hid underneath the table in terror.

"It was an accident. A slip of the mind if you will." Erza clarified. Still staring at Lucy as if she was daring the celestial wizard to say something.

"Honestly Erza, how do you fantasize about someone by accident?" Gray accused.

A small smile decorated Erza's face. "Shall I tell Elfman who you fantasized about? I'm sure he'd understand if you said it was 'by accident' right?"

Gray paled and thanked his lucky stars that Elfman wasn't anywhere nearby when Erza said that. "I won't say anything anymore."

"Good, now if you'll excuse me, I need to find Natsu." She said, getting up and leaving the table and then the guild.

"I feel bad for Natsu." Lucy said suddenly, confusing Gray. But before he could ask her what she meant she continued. "I mean, he could get Erza to fall in love with him kind of easily if he wasn't so…" Lucy paused again as she tried to find the right word.

"If he wasn't so Natsu?"

"Yeah. That's it. "

Shortly afterward Erza had made her way to Natsu's house outside the city. Knocking on the door, she waited for a moment before attempting to open the door herself. When the door refused to open, a tick mark appeared on Erza's forehead before she forced the door open realizing later that she had just broke into Natsu's house.

She quickly looked around her surroundings before hastily closing the door and making it look like nothing was wrong. _'Natsu's a bit dense. He'll just think his lock is broken.'_

But quickly her mood became serious again as she doubled her efforts in looking for the pink haired man. After searching for what seemed like an eternity, she heard what could only be one thing. Following the noise, Erza found herself in a large clearing with several rocks many times bigger than herself. But what got her attention was when one of the rocks was steadily rising and falling again and again.

 _'Not a bad way to train.'_ Erza mused to herself, with a small smile and a shake of her head she turned the corner and her words died in her throat.

Natsu was finishing up a set of lifting the large rocks before tossing it up and punching it without a fire coated fist. Watching with a bit of awe at his pure physical strength at punching a boulder that size into dust.

He suddenly collapsed in a heap, breathing heavily as his physical training always left him exhausted.

Usually this sight never bothered her, she'd seen Natsu without his shirt all the time. But something was different. This time as her eyes took in his chiseled form drenched in sweat to the point she could watch a single drop trail down each individual attractive piece of muscle, she couldn't help but suddenly imagine themselves in the bedroom, his hands tangled with her hands and their bodies entwined.

Erza bit the inside of her mouth until the taste of blood brought her out of her vivid fantasy. She was blushing so hard it wouldn't be surprising if steam was coming out of her ears. No one else had ever gotten her this flustered in her life, not even Jellal. Hell, Natsu wasn't even trying to woo her, she was doing it to herself.

 _'Okay, okay, so you want to fuck your teammate. Bid deal. Lots of my guildmates want to sleep with me so this is no different.'_ Erza breathed a long sigh, placing a hand on her now deafeningly loud heart in an attempt to slow it down.

Natsu's nose twitched suddenly, he sat up and sniffed the air around him and smelling a familiar scent or wild strawberries hit his nose. He didn't quite know what that other smell was but it was pleasant, to both his nose and body.

"Erza!" He said excitedly. Rising to his feet quickly and going around the corner to meet the redhead with big smile.

His smile brought a small smile to her own face without her realizing it. "Hello Natsu. I was just looking for you."

"Eh? For what?" He asked confused, picking his ear with his pinky.

"Remember our date last night? You said you had something to show me and then you ran off." Erza clarified, she wasn't really surprised he didn't remember. Nothing really stuck with him.

"Our what?" He asked again. Still just as confused.

She sighed and ran an agitated hand down her face. "Try and remember before I beat you."

Natsu paled a little and placed a hand under his chin thinking so hard Erza could see the gears turning in his head.

After a moment he perked up and smacked his fist into his hand. "I remember. After I bought you cake I was going to show you but…" He trailed off patting his side before rapidly patting all around himself.

"Where is it?! Where is it?!" He said rapidly, looking all around the courtyard before suddenly perking up again.

"Oh yeah I left it at my house." He said suddenly, causing Erza to groan audibly.

"Well what was it?" Erza said somewhat impatiently, completely forgetting that she had broken Natsu's door.

He finished collecting his shirt and scarf before turning around and facing Erza with a perplexed look.

"We didn't go on a date yesterday." Leave it to Natsu to focus on the wrong topics.

"That's just an easier way to call a 'makeup cake buying'." She clarified slowly walking in step with the dragon slayer.

"Ah. I get it now." She was a little bothered that Natsu hadn't seemed to be interested in dating her. But then again, it was probably just her over thinking the night since he had left in the middle of it.

After a pleasant walk through the forest. The two of them arrived in front of Natsu's house. Fumbling for his keys for a moment, Natsu tried to push it into the lock but ended up just pushing the door open; an action that caused Erza to freeze momentarily.

"Wasn't this locked?" He said to himself, placing a hand under his chin and thinking again.

Erza sighed. "I apologize Natsu, I accidentally broke your door when I started looking for you. I thought you were ignoring me and got angry." She said, looking anywhere but his eyes out of embarrassment.

"I didn't know you wanted to see me that bad. It's fine though, just a door." Natsu said with a smile, waving off the property damage as if he had just had a drink spilled on him.

"Oh, look at this." Natsu said, pointing to the metal lock. "You just broke the part where it slides into the door, I can fix that." In little time, Natsu had melted the two pieces of metal back together so well that it looked like there was no damage at all.

"See? I told you it was no biggie. So stop sulking that you busted my door. Not like I haven't destroyed peoples stuff by accident." He said, inviting her into his house and closing the door behind her.

"I guess you're right. Thank you Natsu for not being upset." She said, dropping the subject since he wasn't angry in the slightest.

"No problem. Anyway, here's what I wanted to show you last night." He said, handing her a mission flyer that she recognized as being on the board for months.

"Natsu, why did you show me this?" She asked confused, the jewel reward was pitiful so she had always ignored it.

"There's another reward besides the fifty jewels. It's a magical set of armor. Like the stuff you wear. I noticed how everyone just overlooked it and I was planning on doing the mission out of pity for the guy who posted it, but then I took a closer look at the reward and thought it'd be worth your while. You know?" He said, an embarrassed smile splitting his face while also scratching his head to do something other than look at her face.

"Oh, I didn't know that. This means quite a lot Natsu. Let's go." Erza said, an excited grin on her face at the prospect of a new armor to add to her arsenal. Grabbing Natsu by the back of his shirt she began hurriedly dragging the two of them back to the guild.

She stopped just before entering and handed the flier back to the dragon slayer. "Here, tell Mira that the two of us are going on this quest and meet me at the train station in twenty minutes." Erza all but demanded.

"A-Aye." Sighing in exasperation at Erza's eagerness was something he never thought he'd do. But it didn't matter, Erza was happy so he was happy.

"Mira!" Natsu called for her once he entered the guild, scanning his eyes all over the guild looking for the maid.

"Yes Natsu?" She answered once he approached the bar.

"Erza and I are going on this mission, or more likely she's dragging me on this mission." Natsu said while handing her the mission flyer.

"Erza wants to leave right now so could you hand this to gramps for me?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head embarrassed.

"Sure Natsu, don't let your girlfriend get to you that much." Mira teased, a small mischievous smile on her face that Natsu completely missed.

"Erza's not my girlfriend. Besides, you know she's tripping over herself to get Jellal's attention." Natsu said without missing a beat.

Mira's smile didn't leave her face, though it seemed a bit more forced. "Is that how you want it to be?" She asked honestly, like Lucy, she had noticed Erza's particular type of affection towards Natsu .

"What do you mean?" He asked, a clueless expression telling Mirajane that she'd need to be more direct.

"I mean don't you want Erza for yourself? You know, steal her away from Jellal?" Mira clarified.

"I still don't get it." Natsu said, still just as clueless.

"What she means, ash face, is if you want to fuck the shit out of Erza." Gray wouldn't call himself an expert on love, he was the expert on lust if attracting a dangerous water wizard, as well as a guy one time without meaning to, had anything to do with it.

Natsu suddenly choked on his own spit, looking over his shoulder in terror before sighing in relief. Turning to Gray with an angry look on his face. "Dumbass! Don't say that out loud! Erza was right behind me until a few minutes ago!" He harshly whispered, the smallest evidence of a blush on his face.

Gray only smirked victoriously before asking Mira for a beer. "And? Mira already called you her boyfriend without violence so what's the matter if I did something like that."

"Because you're terrified of her stripper." Was Natsu's candid response.

A tick mark appeared on Gray's forehead before he rose to his feet. "And you aren't fire dick!?"

The two were in each other's face in the blink of an eye. "You want to go?"

Gray punched Natsu in the face before tossing his shirt to the side, much to the delight of certain water mage.

Mirajane sighed angrily before running her hand down her face. "Nice one Gray, completely forgot the plan to start a fight." She muttered to herself just low enough for only her to hear.

But it wasn't low enough as Natsu's enhanced hearing picked it up. Pausing from decking the now pantless and shirtless Gray in the face.

 _'What plan?'_ He thought briefly before being hit in the face by a chair.

* * *

At the Train Station

An angry Erza tapped her foot repeatedly as she patiently, and angrily, waited for Natsu to arrive.

"I'm going to kick his ass."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It's time for the romance! It's about time right? Wait, does sexual tension count as romance? If it does then I was already good. Regardless, this one's my fav so far. So please enjoy."**

* * *

 _'Shit! Shit! Shit! I'm a dead man!'_ Natsu repeated in his head. He was sweating bullets the entire run from the guild to the train station. He was over a half hour late for their mission and he was so terrified that he completely forgot about his burning hatred for trains.

He eventually reached the train station and immediately began searching for red hair and once he finally spotted it he shivered in terror.

"E-" Natsu couldn't even yell her name before a steel fist knocked him into the wall hard enough to make an impression of himself in it, nearly dragging several of the traumatized onlookers with him. He couldn't remember ever being hit so hard in his life.

He could vaguely make out being grabbed by the scruff of his neck and slapped until he mostly regained consciousness.

"Sorry Erza." Was all he could mumble out before being dragged onto the train and his motion sickness poked its lovely head.

"Because you were so late I'm not knocking you out the entire trip there. Sit there and suffer." Erza ordered, barely contained fury behind each word.

"Sorry-" He tried to apologize again before almost losing his lunch caused him to stop.

The two of them sat there with tension so thick it could have been cut with a knife, eventually Erza was the one to speak.

"You're just lucky we didn't miss the train and that the town is pretty close." As Erza said this, the train suddenly lurched back and forth throwing the occupants of the train in every direction. Once it finally stopped, Natsu was in an embarrassing situation with him on top of her with both of his arms bracing himself next to her head, his face mere inches away from Erza's blushing one.

Something about how close the two were made Natsu's heart beat quicken and for blood to rush to his face. He swallowed heavily as heart quickened even more, he now realized what people meant by the expression of butterflies in your stomach. Without noticing, his face drifted closer, bit by bit until he rushed off of her and puked out the window.

Erza slowly got to her feet and ignored the faces staring at her. She turned and placed a comforting hand on the dragon slayer's back as his stomach violently emptied itself. Eventually it seemed to calm down and Natsu just laid back down on the seat. Sobbing.

"I almost…kissed you again." Natsu joked, trying to lighten the tension that was still in the air.

She coughed into her hand, attempting to alleviate her embarrassment. "It's fine. Just try and…oh forget it. Come here." Before Natsu could react she had grabbed him and knocked him out cold with a punch to his gut. Leaving him to snore peacefully on her lap.

"It would be annoying listening to you gag on your own vomit for an entire train ride." Erza reasoned, but she wouldn't tell anyone how she actually had just wanted to run her hand trough Natsu's hair while he slept.

Something about her views on the dragon slayer had been changing the last few weeks. They did more missions together, enjoyed each other's company more than others. At first she had believed it was simply because they had been childhood friends. But now she wasn't so sure. But Natsu managed to knock her off of that train of thought when he adorably snuggled more into her lap; making the red head blush a little at his subconscious display of affection.

After the train, both mages realized that the client's house was still nearly three hours away on foot. "Aw man, it's gonna take forever to get there. Why couldn't he just live in the city like a normal person?" Natsu complained, sighing as he slowly fell in to step with Erza.

"By that logic why don't you live in Magnolia?" Erza countered, a playful smile on her face.

"Well, that uh, well shut up." He pouted, deliberately looking away from her and crossing his arms like that of a small child.

Instead of going straight for the mission, Natsu decided he wanted to have a bit of fun with a town he hadn't really been in before.

"Hey Erza, before we leave for that old geezer, let's hang out a bit around town. You know, take in the sights?" He asked, grabbing her hand to stop her. An innocent smile on his face the whole time.

She thought about it, but wasn't able to think about it long as she realized Natsu was holding her hand and her heart sped up again. _'Would you just calm down?'_ She thought at herself angrily.

After not getting an answer, Natsu released her hand and his smile faltered a bit. "Okay. If you want to just get this mission over with that's fine. Let's get going."

She snapped out of whatever trance she was in and hastily grabbed his hand to stop him. Their roles now ironically reversed. "No. That sounds like a great idea." For just a moment, a thought entered her head telling her that this was her second date with Natsu.

With a beaming smile he nodded his head and dragged her towards the first of many sights.

The lat place they went to was by accident. Natsu had stumbled into a passing fire wizard and had been informed of a gathering spot over a mountain. Leaving before she could say no, Natsu grabbed her hand and dragged her along with him to the sight.

In a short time, the two of them arrived and were met with a beautiful view of the setting sun. The sight even leaving the brash dragon slayer at a loss for words.

"I must admit, the view up here truly is beautiful. It wasn't overly exaggerated." The requip night said, a pleasant expression confirming her words completely.

"Yeah, why don't we stay here a bit?" He asked, enjoying the contented feeling in his body at the sight of Erza's smile. Planning to relish in it for as long as possible.

She seemed taken aback at the question, but quickly it receded and another contented smile was on her face again.

"That would be nice Natsu." She said, sitting quietly next to the man.

For a while the two sat in comfortable silence. A tightness in his chest that he couldn't explain being present the whole time.

What really surprised him was when Erza suddenly rested her head on his shoulder. The move snapped him out of the trance he was in and confused him. Not that he didn't enjoy it.

"Erza? Why are you resting on my shoulder?" He said. Not really minding as the beating of his heart sped up again.

"I let you rest on my lap on trains all the time." Was her simple answer.

"Oh…I thought you were going to do what she was doing." Natsu said, pointing at the two people below them who were busy doing exactly what the two of them were doing. Except the two of them were holding hands.

Erza noticed the two of them, but soon after she noticed another couple that were passionately making out. And then another and then another.

The realization slowly dawned on her as a heated blush rose to her cheeks.

"Natsu!" She whispered harshly. Her head snapping around and glancing around her to see if anyone was watching the two of them.

"We need to leave. Right now." The nerve of Natsu to bring her to a couple's summit to do who knows what with her. The few fantasies she had had of the wizard came screaming back in her head and caused her face to heat up immensely. Did he really intend to take her right there?

"Wah? Why? It was just starting to get nice." He said casually, getting to his feet and following her despite not knowing why.

After a good minute had passed with the two of them walking in dead silence back to town; Erza glanced around before socking him hard on the back of his skull.

"Natsu! How dare you take me to a couple's summit!" She said, keeping her voice down in case there were still couples who were 'to impatient' to wait until getting to the top of the mountain.

"Ow! Erza…why'd you hit me? And what do you mean couple's summit?" He asked bitterly, massaging the spot she had just hit him.

"A couple's summit is where people go to have sex! You damn idiot!" Erza exclaimed, a blush much deeper than her hair coloring her whole face.

The realization struck Natsu something fiercely. Blushing madly and bowing down to her feet. "I'm sorry I didn't know! Please don't be angry!"

Despite how Natsu believed she felt, Erza was anything but angry. She was far more embarrassed at how forward she had believed Natsu was being. She had fantasized about it on accident occasionally and had just immediately assumed the worst.

After the whole fiasco was cleared up, they both agreed to just head to the old man's house. But Natsu could not get his body to calm down.

Though he did well to hide it, Natsu's heart was still beating wildly in his chest since he had had the idea of having sex with Erza right there on the cliff on his mind. He began thinking as to why he couldn't get himself to calm down around her anymore.

 _'Come to think of it…I felt like this for a while back when I accidentally kissed her.'_ Natsu thought about this for some time, before deciding that being indirect would solve none of his problems. He had a small idea in his head that he knew wasn't true. So he would just squash it while he had the chance.

"Erza." He began, a seriousness in his voice she almost never heard.

"What is it?" She said, managing to forget the awkward experience just a few moments ago.

"What's being in love feel like?" He asked, turning to face her with a determined expression stopping his walk at the edge of town and waiting for her answer before continuing on.

Erza was taken aback by that question, what on Earthland had gotten to Natsu? Nevertheless, she would answer his question.

"Natsu…first let's take a stop at that diner quickly and get something to eat after that train ride." She said, pointing towards the diner in the distance. Surprisingly, they had both gotten so caught up in sightseeing they had forgotten to eat.

At first, Erza sat there with a hand on her chin. Thinking about the best way to explain love to him.

"Well first, just for a comparison, do you think you love someone?" She asked, thinking it would be easier if he had something to base it on.

He perked up immediately. "Well yeah! Igneel of course!" He actually knew what she meant, but it was less embarrassing than saying 'probably you'.

She pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration, she really should have expected something like that from him of all people.

"Nevermind…where do I begin? Here, take my hand." She began, nodding her head towards her hand. He hesitantly grabbed it and immediately he felt his heart pick up again.

He noted how he could actually feel Erza's own heartbeat through her hand, curiously wondering why it beat so fast. He would never let this sensation of holding her hand leave his thoughts.

He must have been staring for a good amount of time since Erza had to snap him out of his staring. "It's all right. I told you to take my hand, I'm not going to get angry." She said sweetly. A smile that made a heat appear in his cheeks.

Did she think he was afraid of holding her hand. That little fact bothered him greatly, he'd never let go of her hand again if she'd let him.

"Being in love would make you want to do things like this with each other. And if you enjoy doing something like this, then you'll probably want to do something one step further. L-Like kissing." She said, beginning to lose her confidence a bit with the intensity Natsu was listening to her. It was a bit intimidating, but she felt happy knowing he was this interested.

"You mean like we did?" Was all he said. His grip on her hand tightening slightly when he realized he was afraid she'd let go.

"Yes, like we did." She answered leaning over the table and tapping his chest and then pointing towards his stomach. "If you really want to do things like this, then you'll feel an awkward sensation in your stomach and heart. Kind of like being anxious but much more pleasurable if you know what I mean."

He shook his head vigorously, knowing exactly what she meant by the feelings. He'd been feeling them every time he was near her for longer than he could remember. It was nearly impossible to resist the urge to kiss her as she had mentioned earlier.

"Good, and if you feel that when you're near them then it won't take long for them to understand how you feel. That's, unfortunately, the best I can really explain it since my own experience with love is kind of pitiful." She said, releasing his hand before her face lit up in realization.

"Oh, I almost forgot! If you want to spend the rest of your life with that person, then that's love. That's the most obvious though." Erza said, putting her hand underneath her chin and trying to think if she had forgotten anything else.

Natsu grabbed at the open air where her hand was for a moment before looking at his empty hand. Her strawberry scent mixed with his own fiery one lingered on it, something he wanted more of.

He had confirmed against his suspicions, Natsu Dragneel was in love with Erza Scarlet and he'd never known it. Looking back, he'd probably loved her since he'd laid eyes on her. He was just too stupid to know it.

"Erza…" He said, trying to get her attention. He would tell her, then he would do everything in his power to win her heart.

"Jellal?" She said suddenly, getting up and seemingly forgetting about him.

He turned around slowly, an unbelieving look on his face. There was Jellal, waving and talking to Erza as if he didn't exist. He wasn't stupid though, he knew Erza didn't forget about him and that she had just never got to see her other childhood friend much and was excited.

At least, that's what he prayed was the truth.

He felt a terrible foreboding sensation in his chest, it was easily the most painful thing he'd ever felt. It was on par with the feeling of terror he had felt when Igneel had left him.

He wasn't paying attention to what they were saying, he only bothered talking when he was spoken to. He was beginning to lose his patience, bit by bit he noticed Erza doing things he'd never gotten her to do. She giggled, smacked on him without hurting him, and deliberately he would place his hand on top of hers several times. Natsu started to see red by the end.

"You know Erza, there has been something I wanted to talk to you about for a while now." Jellal said suddenly, causing both Natsu and Erza to stop breathing. Natsu's drink was boiling over onto his hand but no one noticed.

"I-" Natsu couldn't take it anymore, he refused to be around the two if that's where the discussion was headed. The glass in his hand shattered and he stood up so fast the chair he was sitting on rocketed back into an unsuspecting waiter; tripping him in the process.

The action caused Jellal to jump slightly in surprise. "Natsu? Are you all right?" He asked innocently, he didn't know the man very well, but he did know that Natsu very rarely lost his cool.

"Jellal. You. Me. Now." He spat out, pointing towards the forest nearby and trying to restrain himself as best he could.

Erza took offense. "Natsu! This is no time for violence." She stated angrily, before a look of surprise took her face when she saw Natsu's eyes. She'd have to fight him herself to get him to calm down.

"No fighting." Was all he said, grabbing Jellal by his collar and pushing him towards the forest.

When Erza moved to stop them, Natsu simply turned and glared at her. Wordlessly commanding her to stay put. Hesitantly she did so. Trusting in Natsu's words that there would be no fight.

The two walked in such a tense silence, Jellal could almost feel Natsu's fire burn him, even though he wasn't using any magic at the moment. Eventually, the two of them reached a decent sized clearing and Jellal turned around to stare at the furious dragon slayer.

"You're going to be completely honest with me. Not one lie or I will break every bone in your body. Just like I did at the tower." Natsu spat, fire leaking from his mouth from his anger and lighting the forest grass ablaze before fading out.

"All right. But what did I do?" Jellal asked, inwardly grimacing at the mention of the tower of heaven.

"What were you about to say to Erza?" Natsu demanded.

"Right before you dragged me here right?" He said. Natsu didn't move an inch so he assumed he was right.

"I was going to tell Erza I loved her." He said flatly, deciding that it was best to simply be blunt with the man who he had realized was also in love with Erza.

"You…" Natsu spit out, trembling in rage with his bangs covering his eyes giving Jellal no clue as to how he was about to react.

"Don't you…" He tried to say. But he wasn't able to get the words out since he wiped away his tears. An action that the blue haired man did not miss.

Soon his shoulders were trembling but he forced himself to meet the man's eyes. "Don't you dare break her heart again." Was all he said, unable to lift his head any longer, simply staring at the ground in agony.

After a moment passed, a small smile appeared on the blue haired man's face. He placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder in thanks. "I promise. I won't hurt her again." He pulled back his hand quickly as it suddenly caught fire.

"I'll break it." He said threateningly. Casting one last heated glare towards the man.

Eventually, Natsu was left alone and it began raining. He started walking in a random direction, not caring where he ended up until he ran into a boulder.

"Get out of my way." He muttered, punching the rock halfheartedly and cracking it slightly. He began trembling again, but this time it was out of sadness. The tears flowed unabated, masked by the rain and screams of their owner.

He punched the rock again and again, not caring when it was destroyed. He simply kept smacking into the ground repeatedly until his hands hurt to simply be fists.

"It's not fair! I didn't know! No one ever taught me what that stupid feeling was!" He cursed to himself, beyond frustrated at his own stupidity.

"If I had just a little more time! If I wasn't so stupid!" He yelled as loud as he could until his throat hurt and just kept yelling. He coughed viciously once his throat would accept no more screaming and collapsed onto his hands and knees.

"Erza…"

* * *

 **A/N: Oh snap! Pour on that little bit of heartbreak. I think we may have found out what made Natsu snap. Did any of you see Jellal coming? I bet you all figured out where this was going as soon as he did.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Uh...In response to eXPerience007...I did forget about happy until chapter two was mostly done. But by that point I saw it as two troublesome to add him in. Plus I kind of wanted to go with a bit of seriousness that Happy simply would not allow. So yeah I kind of did forget about him so if it makes you feel any better he's on a mission with Wendy and Carla(Charla?) because he wants that pussy.**

* * *

"A bandit guild nearby is all? That will be simple." Erza said, unfortunately learning that the magical armor was a set she already had.

"I appreciate you coming and doing this job for such a small reward. I'm sorry I can't afford to pay you anymore." An old man said, short and feeble with his cane, said while bowing deeply in apology.

Erza sat up and bowed to the client before heading off in the direction of the bandit guild. Natsu happily in step beside her.

"At least you weren't so angry for no reason Natsu." She said with a smile on her face. He really was attentive to the smallest details.

"I told you it was no big deal and Jellal and I already made up. I just thought his smell was off." Natsu said, whistling a little tune to himself.

Erza smiled again at Natsu's protectiveness. He'd explained sometime after Jellal returned that he thought Jellal was an impostor and was too embarrassed to come back and admit he was being a little jumpy.

"How did you two make up? I'm curious." She asked, trying to give them something else to talk about.

"Next time I see him we fight." Natsu answered heatedly. Smacking his fist into his hand in excitement. "I almost can't wait!" He was actually in a far better mood than he felt he had a right to be. He hadn't seen Jellal since he returned from the forest at some ungodly hour and hadn't asked Erza about it due to embarrassment. So he stupidly hoped for the best and hoped Jellal didn't confess yet.

So, he would try and work out what had happened after he left. If Jellal hadn't confessed, then he still had a chance. But for it to work, Jellal had to be completely out of her head. But unfortunately, it seemed that she was far too happy thinking about the man for it to be soon.

"You're so childish." She said with a laugh.

Her lighthearted laugh brought a smile to his face and made him walk just a tad closer. Even if she didn't love him back, just having her happy was good enough for him. Of course he'd still try because Natsu hates losing.

Eventually the two of them could see a break in the forest and Natsu, being Natsu, immediately ran to charge the guild before Erza grabbed his scarf and made him fall flat on his back at the sudden stop around his throat.

"Erza?! What's the big deal?" He whispered harshly, for once remembering to keep his voice down. Still glaring up at her from the ground.

Silently, she put a finger to her lips and pointed at what seemed to be the very same client that had offered up the mission being dragged into the compound.

"Shit. We just missed them." Natsu swore to himself, getting up and hiding behind the trees now that they had a hostage.

"I've got a plan." Erza said simply, analyzing the situation as best she could.

After a brief explanation, Natsu frowned and shook his head.

"Nah. I'm no good at stealth. That's your department." She looked ready to argue that point, but a determined look eventually made her relent since he was pretty much right.

With that settled, Natsu waltzed out of the forest and strode up to the guild gate like he owned the place. He could feel Erza glaring holes in the back of his skull when he had pretty much planned to be the decoy in the first place; something he was pretty sure Erza just realized.

So, with a big excited grin on face, Natsu's hands and feet coated themselves in his burning flames and blew the door off its hinges. He always liked seeing a bunch of shocked stupid faces staring at him, and as his little secret, he made all of their faces look like a certain blue haired wizard.

His plan to relieve his anger had worked a little too well. Dispatching most of bandits with a lot more force than he really needed. He only really seemed to be having trouble with the bigger bandit in front of him.

Grunting in annoyance, Natsu took a moment to size up the man in front of him. Finding the bulky bastard to be far faster than he really should have been. But Natsu was simply far too powerful and grabbed the man's fist when he appeared in front of him and refused to let go. A grin splitting his face at the bandit's terror.

A quick punch to the stomach proved more than enough to stagger the man long enough for Natsu to take him out of commission. One last chop to his neck was what he planned to do, but Jellal's face appeared on the bandit and Natsu wasn't able to hold himself back.

 **"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"** He yelled, sending the man and everything behind him into an inferno of pain; including the rest of the bandits left on the floor.

"Tsk." He said, glaring lightly at them before sniffing the air and trying to get a clue where Erza and the old man were. He sighed loudly and began searching for them when he found nothing but bandit stench.

He would admit to fighting those bandits with an animosity they didn't deserve, but he couldn't bring himself to care. At least, not when Jellal's face was on each of theirs. He always thought people who let jealousy control their actions were stupid and weak, but now he could understand a little better. They were still stupid and weak though.

After a good bit of searching nothing really came up until he saw Erza waving at him from across the courtyard, he could see her lips moving but no sound came at him. Straining his ears and waving back he tried to get her to repeat herself again.

She suddenly requipped into her heaven's wheel armor and rushed at him. She had a panicked expression on her face and Natsu finally understood. Only noticing how banged up she looked when she became closer. He was too slow to block the enormous man's weapon and could only feel his ribs crack from the pure force of the strike.

He was sent flying backwards with a thunderous force and wasn't able to stop himself from crashing into his unsuspecting ally and the two of them tumbled backwards. The only thing stopping him from attaining more severe injuries was the cushion below.

He groggily opened his eyes and made to move but found it far more painful than he expected. But he felt the pain fade from his body when he heard her worried voice.

"Natsu! Are you all right?!" She asked, carefully trying to set the shaky dragon slayer on his feet. Glaring pure malice at the man who had delivered a cheap shot to both of them; it so happened that the man grinned when he noticed the glare. Resting the large weapon on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing.

"I'm…fine." He said, shaking the cobwebs from his head. He could worry about pain later, right now he couldn't stand to let himself see her so worried. It was just one cheap shot. Sure it felt like he got hit by a train, but it was still just one.

She took one last worried glance at him before shifting her attention to the asshat who had attacked him.

"That's our client." She said suddenly, causing Natsu to gape at her in astonishment. He repeatedly looked back and forth between the two.

"How? That dude was at least ninety and this dude is like seven feet tall and can't be more than forty." He said, clearly confused.

The large man laughed and placed the large hammer in his hands and entered a battle stance. Both Natsu and Erza bracing themselves before Natsu suddenly pushed her back a fierce grin on his own face.

"If this is our client, then he's got a bone to pick with Fairy Tail right?" He asked, planning to fight this man on his own, despite him obviously holding back on his last attack.

"I see you are capable of using your head Salamander. Though the bio says otherwise." The large man pulled a paper with both of their faces on it and threw it on the ground before charging much faster than his bulk said he could.

Natsu was unprepared an could only just barely dodge the hammer. Erza saw the attack coming and glided gracefully around the attack and aimed her sword slash at the man's wrists intent on lopping them off.

But the man was smart and reversed his grip on the hammer, sliding his hands underneath the steel handle and using it to deflect Erza's sword. Parrying a scorching fist that nearly burnt his hand with the smallest touch of deflecting it with his own free one int the small amount of time he had between their coordinated attacks.

Despite the vicious opening, the man wasn't actually fast. Natsu and Erza couldn't match his bulk or raw power, even combined, but the two of them were far more agile and used that to land several attacks. Be they burning punches or sword swipes. Eventually sending a burned and bloody body flying painfully into the wall.

"Weak." Natsu said, the excited grin from a good fight beginning to fade. He and Erza simply worked to well together plus the fact he was just a hulking behemoth worked really well for them.

"I want what's left." Erza said, more of a command, looking dead at Natsu.

"Go for it. But was that really the client?" He asked again, he pretty much knew it was now that he'd gotten plenty of his smell but it paid to be positive. More than happy to let Erza finish him, he could tell by the bruises on her that he'd probably hit her with a cheap shot as well.

"Yes it was. Now, if you'll excuse me." She said, malice oozing off of her in waves that made Natsu pale at the memories of him getting her that mad.

"Explain this." She demanded, jamming her foot into one of chest wounds and twisting until the man was crying out in agony. She had the bio he pulled out after calling Natsu an idiot dangling from her hand angrily. Looking ready to shove it down the man's throat.

"I was paid! I'm just a mercenary! I'm no different then you two!" He said quickly, not willing to put up with an apparently angry Titania.

Natsu suddenly found himself angry at being compared to a mercenary. Erza must have felt the same too because she picked up his own hammer and buried the hilt in his gut and knocked the man unconscious.

"Mine." She said, grabbing the hammer and adding it into her collection with a smirk.

He couldn't help but chuckle at Erza's ridiculous attachment to weapons. He sighed after a moment once he realized he'd be nailed over the head with it eventually. As would stripper, the thought of the ice mage getting hit so hard his clothes fly off as he is knocked out of the guild made him nearly laugh.

He sighed again as the adrenaline faded and he was beginning to become awfully aware of how much his ribs were sore. Gonna hurt like a bitch in the morning.

Erza hesitated before going back into her regular Heart Kreuz armor and walked back to Natsu's side before heading back to the town for a rest. The mission over.

Natsu paused for a moment. "How did that dude change from being an ancient geezer to that guy? He didn't seem to have any real powerful magic. Or any magic at all actually." He said, scratching his head in confusion.

Erza shrugged. "He only said something about having a spell cast on him before we came here after he surprised me and knocked me through the building."

"Oh." Made sense. He wouldn't question it.

A small idea struck the dragon slayer, a terrifying one as well as a brilliant one, the two of them would be alone for a while until they got to town. He could try and get any news about Jellal out of her but was terrified of her answer.

 _'Why yes Natsu, Jellal did tell me he loved me and we had passionate sex right there in the middle of town.'_ That was weird of his mind to go straight to sex, but he'd only started to see her like that since Erza had accidentally explained that Natsu was in love with her.

He'd never been in this kind of predicament before. He'd never bothered about the consequences of his actions if they weren't too troublesome. But not having Erza ever love him back was something that utterly terrified him. That was something that he simply could not let happen and so he'd thought all of his actions through when they regarded her.

What if it came down to a choice? What if she had to choose him or Jellal? Or Jellal and the guild? Was he still that important to her? He wanted, _needed_ , to know the answers to these questions, but he was too scared to know the answers at the same time.

He must have been silently thinking for a long time since Erza had to snap her fingers in front of his face to get him to answer her.

"What is it?"

"I said are you okay? You took a good shot to the chest and I wanted to make sure you were okay." She asked, a concerned hand on his shoulder since they had stopped walking to converse.

"Yeah-" He began, but suddenly he stopped midsentence. Turning around and looking into the forest after that mysterious sound he heard.

 _'There it is again.'_ He thought to himself, face hardening before turning to Erza.

"You had to have heard it that time right?" He didn't have to stick around to know she didn't.

He gave her an apologetic grin. "Sorry Erza, head back to the inn we stayed at and wait for me I'll be right back." He turned and ran, but was stopped when Erza grabbed his hand.

Somewhat upset, Natsu turned and glared softly. "Why'd you stop me?"

"I'm coming with you." She said simply. Letting go of his hand and waiting for him to lead.

"I said I'll be right back. But fine." He may not have wanted to drag her into this, but she was going to be adamant about it and he wouldn't _dare_ be late.

The two of them began running in the direction Natsu had remembered the sound coming from. Twisting and turning around the trees as the forest seemingly moved around them. But after a moment they eventually reached a clearing whereupon Natsu immediately began sniffing the air.

"What-" Erza began, before Natsu turned around put his finger to his mouth. Telling her that whatever this was that it was important she be silent.

"I'm here. Tell me about Igneel this time and stop playing games!" He suddenly said aloud. Looking all around for something.

 _"Absolutely not."_ A voice echoed, it apparently coming from all over as Erza could tell nothing about the voice's origin. It was obviously using some type of voice manipulation magic. She then focused her mind on a single topic so she wouldn't be sidetracked if this type of magic had any kind of hypnotizing properties.

"Why the hell not?!" He asked, more so demanded, of the floating voice.

 _"You know full well why. Now leave. You'll be lucky if I ever decide to contact you again."_ It responded, the venom from the voice pouring in from all kinds of directions. But just as quick as it appeared, it vanished. Leaving no trace of anything ever being there. If anything had at all.

"Get back here you coward!" He yelled, steam pouring outward from his mouth with every livid exhale.

"Natsu, who, and what, was that?" She asked him, placing her hands on her hips. Silently declaring she wouldn't accept no for an answer.

"Why'd you insist on coming?" He suddenly spat out. Looking over his shoulder and glaring at her.

"What do you mean? I was worried obviously. You ran off from me on our date for something just like this and I didn't want you running off again. Now that I know your just following some more rumors about Igneel, I'm not so worried, but your still being idiotic." Erza ranted, running a hand through her hair. The day had caught up to her and that monstrous man hit quite hard.

"Being idiotic? What's that supposed to mean?" He said defensively, not believing his ears.

She sighed. "You're being idiotic because, once again, you're chasing after every single rumor about Igneel like you always do. I've wondered sometimes what you'd do if you had to choose between Fairy Tail or Igneel." She hadn't noticed what she'd said until she said it.

"What…" He recoiled. He couldn't believe she was asking him something like that.

"Wait!" She said holding a hand to her mouth as if she was trying to take back the words she'd just said. "I didn't mean-"

He cut her off. "If you want to make me choose between something like that. I could pull the same kind of crap you know? Would you be able to choose either?" He was beyond angry, what the hell had made her say something that underhanded?

"Choose what?" She asked meekly. Deserving of what she was about to receive.

"Between Jellal and the guild." He stated, not breaking eye contact.

"I would of course choose the guild." She said defensively.

"Really now? It's obvious to everyone that you prefer his company over everyone else's. But you know what? That's fine though, we all have people who we're closer with. What I'm more scared about is what would happen if you had to choose between me or Jellal." Now Natsu had blundered this time, he may as well have told Erza right then and there he loved her for all the subtlety he used to drop that bombshell.

But instead of any nasty outburst of anger, she just recoiled and stared him with her mouth agape. Clearly shocked at his words.

"Natsu…I couldn't…I…" Now she knew how he had just felt when she accidentally gave him an ultimatum.

He sighed heavily before he turned away from her, slightly embarrassed for getting so worked up over something so small now that he thought about it.

"I'm sorry Erza. I didn't mean to get that upset. But Igneel is important to me and-" He wasn't able to finish his sentence as Erza suddenly enveloped him in a hug. Of which he slowly returned, happily, but slowly.

"It's all right. I forgive you. I started it anyway. You'll never have to choose between Igneel and the guild though so you'll never have to worry about that." She felt horrible that she had put that kind of burden on him. Now that that question was on his mind he'd actually tear himself up over it. But she wouldn't lie about how surprised she was that she'd given Natsu a hug as well how much she enjoyed it.

Natsu, meanwhile, was in heaven. Just simply being allowed to hold her like this and let her presence fill his heart was beyond perfect. Her delicious scent of strawberries still lingered on her and _almost_ made him sigh in contentment and pull her closer to himself. Feeling his heartbeat actually calm down from its excitement over their argument when he held her.

"I'd choose you." He mumbled to himself, too happy with holding her like this to care anything about the outside world.

Erza eyes widened in surprise. Natsu must have realized what he'd said because he suddenly tensed right afterwards.

She felt a huge heat drift to her face. "What did you say?" She said, separating from the hug and trying to stare into the nervous and evasive dragon slayer's eyes.

"I-I said I s-smelled goo." He said nervously chuckling to himself and beginning to walk off. Until Erza hand held his in a grip that threatened to break his hand if he ran away.

"That's not what you said Natsu." Erza said, able to keep him from running away as well as making clear up to what she _thought_ she'd heard.

But just as Natsu looked to say something, a voice broke the two of them out of their moment. "Natsu? Erza?" A confused but excited voice said.

When they turned to look at the intruder both of them were surprised. There stood Jellal with all of his travelling gear as if he was leaving. Which was most likely what he was doing.

"Jellal?" Erza said suddenly, not forgetting about Natsu like the last time she'd seen him. Natsu just glared darkly at him. To which he ignored.

"Wow. I'm actually glad I ran into you. I wanted to say something to you before I left but I noticed the two of you were leaving for your mission so I decided to leave. But now I'm glad I did. Now I can tell you what I wanted to yesterday before Natsu killed the mood." Jellal said with a smile on his face, utterly ignoring the confused stare of said dragon slayer.

"Wait. I thought you already told her?" He asked, confused. He was under the impression Jellal had told her as soon as they got back.

"No I didn't. Because, as I said, you killed the mood." Jellal repeated.

"So you didn't…"

"I thought I was already clear."

That meant…

Natsu knew exactly what he had to do.

"Erza!" He said suddenly, grabbing the woman by her shoulders and turning her to face him. Their faces no much closer than before.

"What I said earlier, I meant it. I'd choose you! I'd choose you over the world, I'd choose you over the guild, and yes I'd even choose you over Igneel." He did his absolute best to put all of his feelings into his words as best he could, despite never doing something like this ever before.

Erza's eyes widened and a huge tug on her heart told her that whatever was going on with Natsu, he meant every word. For him to place her over everything could only mean…

"Erza Scarlet I love you!"

* * *

 **A/N: Oh shit! Natsu's own jealousy from last chapter saved his ass!**

 **Turns out That this will probably be more than five chapters. Seven at the most.**

 **Yeah I really underestimated.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: You get one small warning. Shit gets a bit heated at the end. Won't tell you how, but it does.**

* * *

Whatever it took to keep Natsu down was something none of them actually knew. When he was this damn determined to win, they'd never seen him lose. Hell, when he was like this, nothing ever seemed to even faze him. Even when clearly outclassed, he still shrugged off even the strongest of attacks.

It was at this point Makarov decided to show up.

Many of the wizards of Fairy Tail were already beaten and unconscious. Some had even needed to be saved from attacks that could kill. The only ones left standing were simply the lucky ones who actually knew how Natsu fought. They being Cana, Mirajane, Laxus, Gajeel, Wendy, Lucy, a revived Gray and Erza, and Makarov.

 _'If only Gildarts were here.'_ Makarov thought sadly knowing it would be far easier to restrain the dragon slayer if he was here to help. He didn't know what had happened to Natsu, but everyone was going to help him after they finished restraining him. And by restrain, he meant beat the everliving shit out of him.

They all tensed once Natsu activated his Lighting Dragon mode again. He'd been able to overpower Hades completely using that power, so Makarov almost stepped in. But was relieved he wouldn't have to when he dropped out of it again almost immediately. They all realized that no matter how driven he was…

Natsu was still just a human wizard and would eventually run out of juice.

And with most of Fairy Tail's S-Class Wizards, as well as the more than likely eventual S-Class, were in front of him with only minor injuries with a healer even on standby, they knew it was only a matter of time before Natsu's body gave out.

Everyone noticed how angry Erza was, everyone knew of their recent relationship, so Natsu actually trying to kill her had thrown all of them off. But Erza wasn't angry for the reason they all thought, she had her own reason and her own reasons to keep quiet about it.

He growled loudly in frustration. "My problem isn't with the guild! Get out of my way before you do make the guild involve my problem!" He was breathing heavily and raggedly and barely able to stand. Though, he was still capable of moving and hitting just as hard as he always could.

"What is your problem your fucking idiot!? If you could have just told us then we could of helped you! But you decide the best course of action is to kill Erza?! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Gray shouted, never being as mad as he was right now. Him and Natsu may have butted heads all the time, but they were almost as close as brothers. Though neither would ever admit that. And it's also why he was so confused.

"You don't need to know! Just hand her over and we'll settle this between us! You're only alive because I took pity on you! I could have snapped your neck like a fucking twig earlier!" He shouted again, the devastation around them was immense.

The area where the fight had occurred was a luscious forest clearing before Natsu and Erza were tossing fire attacks and everything around. With the inclusion of lighting, explosive winds and metal, as well as cards and explosives, the forest had been absolutely decimated. Trees were constantly falling and snapping as bodies were thrown through them and the forest around them was burning to the ground. Even the sky had dimmed red from the destruction around them. It made Natsu all the more intimidating when his eyes took on their deep red color.

Everyone's faces twisted in anger, leading to Gray charging him as well as Gajeel. The two kept immense pressure on the wounded dragon slayer, leaving him absolutely no room to breathe, let alone attack. But he managed to block both Gray's **Ice Make: Freeze Lancer** and Gajeel's **Iron Dragon's Roar** with his own **Fire Dragon's Roar**.

The resulting explosion of magic blinds both of the two mages, having to shield their eyes from the resulting explosion of debris. When they lowered their arms, they were taken by surprise when Natsu burst through the smoke cloud.

 **"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"** His entire body was spinning rapidly and covered head to toe in intensely hot flames. Hitting Gajeel directly in the stomach and knocking him into to Gray. Making the two of them painfully become acquainted with the ground.

Natsu grinned wildly before falling to his knees in exhaustion. Laxus used this as an opening and head butted Natsu, his lighting coiling around him every strike, using said lighting to deliver several dangerously powerful punches into his face and body. He then brought a thunderously hard kick to the side of Natsu's head to finish off his assault. Tearing a groove in the ground as his body was launched with an almost unparalleled force.

Mirajane also used the opportunity and used her **Take Over: Satan Soul** to launch Natsu into the air with her **Evil Explosion** and quickly ascended past him into the sky. Once there, she grabbed the man's arm and threw him into the ground as hard as she could.

But Erza was waiting for him to reach the ground in her purgatory armor. Standing directly in Natsu's path, she swung the blunt end of her sword as powerfully as she could and met the flying body of the dragon slayer at the most powerful part of her swing.

Where she smashed his ass into the ground with such force that a visible shockwave flew past them all and left Natsu in a pit that was several hundred times his size. That attack combination would have surely killed nearly any other mage.

Panting, Erza quickly retreated to her comrades position as her physical exhaustion was far past the point any healing could fix and she nearly collapsed. Even with Wendy's **Sky Magic** healing her wounds.

"That should do it." Makarov said, slowly walking towards the downed dragon slayer. Stopping just over his unmoving body. Still miraculously conscious.

"What's wrong with you all…" He said weakly, looking the old man in the eye.

"Natsu…who's controlling you?" Makarov asked, getting to a knee and placing a caring hand on the dragon slayer's shoulder. Actually incredibly worried that he might die from his injuries.

This caused Natsu to laugh loudly, despite how his chest should have been caved in. Stopping his laughing fit suddenly and staring Makarov dead in the eye.

"No one."

Before he could even blink, Natsu had punched Makarov square in the stomach. Activating his Lighting Dragon mode again, he rose to his feet almost instantly afterwards. **"Lightning Flame Dragon's Roar!"** The incredible destructive combination of lightning and fire blasted Makarov away and was completely taken by surprise.

"Master!" The group yelled, completely taken by surprise as Natsu climbed out of his crater and faced them all with a manic grin.

The group found themselves with nothing to do. Makarov had been completely blindsided with Natsu's, debatably strongest attack, and could find no way to win.

"NATSU!" Makarov suddenly yelled, increasing his size immensely and with it his power.

"Yeah old man?" He said mockingly, completely ignoring everyone in front of him as a legitimate threat.

"YOU ARE HEREBY EXPELLED FROM FAIRY TAIL!"

* * *

One Day Prior

* * *

Her entire world had just been turned upside down, though, considering the company she keeps, that happened a lot more to her than she felt was really fair. How was she supposed to react to this? Natsu wasn't supposed to act like this, he was supposed to be a lovable goofball who messed with her and sometimes deserved a beating after destroying her cake.

He wasn't supposed to fall in love with her.

To him, she was apparently the most important thing for him to be able to confidently say he'd choose her over everything; even his life goal of finding his father.

She felt tears run down her face and couldn't tell why. What she was supposed to do was back away and deny Natsu's feelings as tactfully as she could. She was supposed to be the strong and brave wizard that kept Natsu's and the guild's shenanigans in check.

She wasn't supposed to fall in love with him.

But to her, Natsu had bulldozed his way into her heart completely by accident. She could easily say now that Natsu was more important to her than anything. It was obvious now that she was paying attention.

"Don't cry." He said suddenly, releasing one of her shoulders before wiping away her tears with his thumb. With that done he brought Erza in for another hug.

"I'm sorry I'm dumping this on you so suddenly. I didn't even realize I was in love with you until yesterday." Admittedly, he had an idea that he could be in love with her before that but didn't have the basis to know for sure.

Slowly she returned his hug, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck. She resisted the urge to sigh in contentment; his smell was almost intoxicating. "Then yesterday, when you asked what it was like being in love…" She left the end of question unfinished since there was no reason to finish it.

"Yeah. So do you-" A wondrous feeling of her lips on his stopped him short.

Natsu surprised himself when he deepened the kiss and slid his tongue into her mouth, using it to explore every nook and cranny. He surprised himself again when he gripped her ass with both of his hands and pressed her against a nearby tree, if he went by her pleased moan she approved of the motion.

He broke the kiss suddenly, leaving a small trail of saliva connecting them, before burying his face in her neck and inhaling her scent deeply. The action sent a shiver up the redhead's spine. His hands began groping and squeezing every piece of skin he could feel, with her doing the same with just as much gusto. Growling in frustration when he felt her armor in the way of his real targets.

"Armor." He growled out again, the power as well as the straight up _possessiveness_ in his tone making her knees quake.

She _almost_ let Natsu have his way with her right there.

She, _with immense difficulty_ , pushed Natsu away to stop the train of actions that would lead to them rutting like bunnies.

"Natsu, I don't think my heart is ready for something like this yet." She could say her heart wasn't ready until the cows came home, her _body_ was more than ready for it. Had they been indoors, she wouldn't have been able to stop him. She wouldn't even have tried.

He panted briefly with his eyes half open. "Hang on." He brought his hand up to his face and bit it _hard_ until he suddenly pulled back, unable to continue biting his appendage.

"Okay. Okay. I calmed down." He said with a grimace, shaking his throbbing hand. The two of them suddenly found themselves in an awkward silence.

"Let's just head back to the guild. We're done here anyway." Erza said, turning and walking back to town. Natsu catching up after a moment of confusion.

After a while, Natsu was still a bit confused.

 _'Erza and I are in love right? We almost did it back there in the middle of the forest so she wouldn't mind it if I held her hand right?'_ Natsu had privately wanted to hold her hand terribly bad ever since he did back at the restaurant.

So, with confidence, Natsu grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. An action she happily accepted.

"Aren't we forgetting something?" She asked suddenly.

"I don't think so."

Unknown to both of them, a certain blue haired man was hiding behind a tree where the two of them nearly had given into their urges. Smirking to himself with a small blush on his cheeks.

"The plan worked." He said to a card with a small picture of a drunken topless woman with nothing but a bra on. A small sweatdrop forming.

* * *

Back at the Fairy Tail Guild Hall

* * *

Lucy, Cana, and Mirajane were sitting closely together once the woman, more beer than woman honestly, Cana, had motioned the both of them over.

A disembodied voice suddenly spoke through the card just loud enough for the girls to hear.

 _"The plan worked."_ It said.

"Ha! Told you he could do it!" Lucy said to the two, making both of the women whine quietly.

"So, let's hear it. Give us details." Mirajane said suddenly, a mischievous smile on her face that showed she was eager for some gossip.

 _"Uhhh…"_ The voice paused, somewhat hesitant. _"The plan REALLY worked."_ It continued, a large emphasis on really.

This confused the women and made Mirajane even more impatient. "Spit it out already!"

 _"Those two, uh, nearly…were actually going to have sex with me standing right there. In the middle of the forest."_

The three women's eyes lit up in excitement. "More!" They all said in unison.

 _"It started when Natsu made a pretty good confession. He said 'what I said earlier, I meant it. I'd choose you! I'd choose you over the world, I'd choose you over the guild, and yes I'd even choose you over Igneel.' Erza actually started crying before the two of them started going at it."_

"That's so sweet. I can't believe Natsu had it in him." Lucy said, imagining her own knight in shining armor.

Mirajane let out a girlish giggle before a sudden ice make wizard showed up in their group.

"Natsu had what in him?" Gray asked confused, he saw the three of them gather together and stealthily made his way over to eavesdrop.

"Natsu and Erza are together! Our plan worked! Good going Jellal!" Lucy said, not noticing the two death glares of her friends.

Gray dropped the drink in his hand, mouth open in shock. "He did what…"

"Oops." She said sheepishly. Mirajane face palmed and Cana giggled drunkenly to herself.

Using their moment of anger to his advantage, Gray suddenly swiped the card before anyone could stop him.

"NATSU! HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET ERZA TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU?!" Gray shouted, he was intent on telling the guild and used his 'anger' to hide it. He fully intended to embarrass the absolute shit out of both of them when they returned.

The guild stopped in its tracks, it was so silent a pin being dropped could be heard. Everyone listened intently to the card in Gray's hand.

 _"AH! FUCK! Who the hell yelled into the card!?"_ Jellal asked, audibly whining and groaning about his deaf ears through his end of the card.

"Wait, you're not Natsu?" Gray asked, genuinely confused.

 _"No! I'm Jellal!"_

"Oh…I wanted to insult Natsu." Gray said sadly, tossing the card back to the other two and grabbing Elfman's drink out of his petrified hand.

"Why isn't he surprised?" Lucy asked, surprised herself that Gray was handling the news so well.

"Give it a minute." Cana said, Mirajane shaking her head in agreement.

Lucy hardened her gaze and looked on at Gray until the man suddenly spit out his beer and appeared just as frozen as the rest of the guild.

"There he goes."

* * *

Back With Natsu and Erza

* * *

The two of them had decided to keep their relationship a secret from the guild for now. Deciding to slowly let the guild know with hints rather than drop the bomb all at once. So, with their mind made up, Natsu and Erza were on a train back to Magnolia.

Of course Natsu was unconscious with his burning hatred of trains and motion sickness. But he was unconscious in Erza's lap. So it was still pretty sweet.

The whole time, Erza ran her hand lovingly through Natsu's hair. Going over the events that lead to this in her head. She smiled when he said her name in his sleep and then had a big smile on his face after he said it.

The whole situation seemed almost too perfect, she could only wonder how long Natsu had been in love with her. She didn't know when she fell in love with him either, but it probably started when he saved her life at the tower of heaven. She remembered how scared of losing her he was, and made her promise never to throw away her life.

But she would have time to reminisce later as the train was stopping. Shaking Natsu awake, the two left the train and began walking hand in hand back to the guild hall. But on the way there, Natsu suddenly pushed her into an alley and then up against the wall.

"Natsu!" She whispered harshly, confused by the move. "What are you doing pushing me into an alley?"

"We're keeping us a secret right? Well I can't stop myself from certain _urges_." He trapped her there by putting his arms around her and growled huskily into her ear, leaving Erza with little to wonder about what urges Natsu had.

He suddenly captured her lips in his own, loving how even the inside of her mouth tasted like strawberries. He wondered in the back of his head if it was because it might have been all she ate.

She eagerly responded to the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen it. Natsu responded in kind by grabbing her ass and drove her hips into his to grind into them. An action she returned in kind.

Erza knew where this was going and pushed him away, an embarrassed heat in her face. "Natsu. I don't…we can't…oh…" She couldn't finish her sentence when he used his fire to warm up his body to a wondrous temperature and now his touches really did leave warm trails on her body. He was supposed to have never done this before, so how did he know to play her body like an instrument as if he were its master? Not that she complained mind you.

She finally lamented again when he growled and she requipped into her normal white blouse and blue skirt. Nearly moaning out loud when he immediately tore open her shirt and began fondling her breasts with his hot hands. He removed her bra after some time and immediately popped her nipple into his mouth.

She _did_ moan once he started that.

He used his left hand to massage her other breast and play with her pert nipples. Switching to her other breast, so as not to neglect it, and using his mouth and tongue to bring his lover as much pleasure as possible. He used his teeth to lightly nibble her nipple and the action caused her take in a sharp breath and moan quietly right after.

His right hand had slowly been massaging his way down her stomach until it came to her damped sex. He could feel from the outside of her panties how aroused she was. So, without her permission, something Erza actually found to be a huge turn on, he slipped his fingers inside her.

She nearly screamed at the sudden penetration, only succeeding in not since Natsu had the foresight to kiss her before hand and trap the scream inside their joined mouth.

He used his fingers to explore around her insides before warming them up greatly, an action that caused her entire body to shiver in bliss. He expertly hit and viciously targeted a certain spot inside her sex that brought Erza to a quivering and panting mess in his hands.

He looked her over again, in his opinion she could not have looked more beautiful. With her hair disheveled and pressed into the wall and her flawless body that gleamed with a sheen of sweat down to how she quietly moaned his name every time his fingers danced inside her.

The thought of any other man seeing her in this state disgusted him.

Suddenly, Erza tightened around his fingers and her breath caught in her throat. Before she suddenly lost the strength in her legs that let her stand on her own after her orgasm. Luckily Natsu was there to stop her fall.

He could do whatever he wanted to her right now. If it felt _that_ good then she didn't care. Though, she did feel a bit bothered that she was the only one feeling this good.

She suddenly turned the two of them around and pushed Natsu into the wall with a surprising show of strength. With just a glance, she could see how excited he was.

She slowly trailed her hand down his chest, teasing him with the graceful touches he'd just done to her, before sliding her hand into his pants and wrapped her hands around his throbbing manhood. She felt it twitch in her grip before lightly pumping her hand.

"Erza…" He wasn't able to speak any more as she released him and pulled his pants down, leaving him at full attention with her lips so tantalizingly close.

"OH MY GOD!" But just as something was about to start, someone had the worst luck of all time.

"Gray?!" Natsu said suddenly, pulling his pants up and putting Erza behind him in one swift motion.

* * *

One Awkward as Fuck Explanation Later

* * *

"Okay, I get. Natsu's just such a horndog he felt like fucking you right there in the alley. And I interrupted." Gray said, all traces of embarrassment gone with how funny the situation turned out to be. He had just totally cockblocked him.

"Gray! Shut the hell up!" Natsu said, the only one able to speak. Erza was far too embarrassed to speak, her entire face was the same color as her hair.

"No way! This is too good! I mean, we literally just heard how you and Erza were a thing. And then I catch you two in an alley? In the middle of getting head? That shit is just too good." Yes, Gray knew he would die for this, but he really didn't care. He'd die with a smile on his face.

It was at this point Erza decided to pass out from embarrassment. And Natsu took the opportunity to smash Gray's face into the table.

* * *

 **A/N: Haha! I got kind of bored near the end of the chapter and couldn't figure out how to end it. So I just went with a little lemon. (What's the actual word for not a lemon? It's a lime right?) Anyway, please leave a review if you enjoyed**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A few things have come to my attention. They don't really have anything important to the story in it but it's more for continuity's sake. Last chapter, I labeled Natsu's attack where he roars the fire as 'Roar of the Fire Dragon'. But after checking the wiki for the correct name of his iron fist fist spell, I learned that Natsu's roar is actually 'Fire Dragon's Roar'. So I wanted people to know that since I labeled it correctly this time in case there was any confusion.**

 **But don't worry about that too much, finally I'm telling you guys what happened to Natsu. Get reading I know you're curious.**

* * *

That Day

* * *

Gray weighed his options. He weighed his options as if a judge would weigh the crimes of a criminal on the verge of execution. His brow was furrowed in immense concentration, his bangs covering his eyes and his hands crossed in front of his mouth. Effectively hiding his facial expression from his teammates in front of him. He desperately wanted to tell someone what he caught Natsu and Erza doing, but out of a rational fear for his life, he hesitated with even one of them there let alone both.

Plus, Natsu had incredibly good hearing so there was little chance of secretly telling someone or else he'd hear it.

Sure, he'd never stop noticing the death glare from Erza and Natsu ever since they returned to the guild. The couple had chosen to return separately, but Natsu had decided to go with Gray, and keep a metaphorical leash on his neck, to ensure no leak of information presented itself.

Deciding on a course of action, Gray sighed and placed his hands on the table. Drawing the attention of the couple, who were now eyeing him warily.

"I'm telling."

"If you want to live, you'd better not."

"Try her ice testicles."

"Eventually you two aren't going to be around. Then who's going to stop me?"

"Oh don't worry, one of us will always be with you. Watching you from the shadows, ready to end your life with a simple flick of the wrist at the drop of a hat." Erza deadpanned, a pleasant smile never dropping from her face.

Speaking of, even if someone knew the circumstances, one would completely be unable to tell there was anything wrong. The threes acting was superb, even if one of them was acting so well out of pure fear and the others out of anger.

"All right fine, I won't tell anyone. It's your guy's business what you do anyway. Just stop doing it where I can find out!" Gray lamented, he wasn't a complete asshole. Just an asshole to Natsu. So he could give the two lovebirds a little bit of privacy at least. A bit of a shame but he'd just have to bite the bullet.

You know, at least for now.

"Don't do what Gray?" Lucy asked with a curious look on her face, setting next to the ice wizard and immediately feeling uncomfortable for some unknown reason.

"Having sex in an alley…" Gray's eyes widened, he'd just made the mother of all fuck ups.

There was a tense silence at the table. But Lucy broke it. "What do you mean?" After a moment, the furious glares and a sweating Gray slowly clicked in her mind before she burst out into a barely suppressed giggling fit.

"Wow! You two had…sex in an alley?" She wasn't all that surprised, hearing how the two of them had seemingly held back from going at it like animals in the middle of a forest. But to actually go through with it in an alley? That shit was hilarious, especially if Gray had been the one to find out.

Fuck it, he was already a dead man walking.

Gray suddenly flipped the table onto everyone, the guild stopping and presumably getting ready to engage in another brawl. Makarov could already hear his wallet crying.

But what surprised everyone was when Gray suddenly Froze Natsu and Erza just long enough to say his piece and flee.

"NATSU AND ERZA HAD SEX IN AN ALLEY IN TOWN!" He was lying just a little bit, but he could already see the ice cracking around them and decided to just run while he had the chance instead of explaining that they were, in fact, _about_ to have sex when he interrupted them.

The guild had never seen him run so fast before.

* * *

Some Time Later

* * *

Word had gotten out before they had even come back to the guild, this little tidbit of information had presented itself to the couple sometime after they gave up their search for Gray. Plus, their overreaction just cemented the fact that his words had been true. When they returned, no one dared say a word, but there were plenty of suppressed giggles until Erza loudly declared what they had done and had zero shame in it. Daring anyone to challenge her on it.

Erza wasted no time in intimidating every member of the guild into submission until she had narrowed it down to Mirajane, Cana, and Lucy that had somehow known about them; the couple completely ignorant that Gray had been the one to tell everyone in his 'shock'. But she felt that a another person was in on the whole thing but couldn't put her finger on why.

"Explain." The glare, as well as two of the females sheer terror, Mirajane felt no such terror due to being Erza's rival for much of their childhood, eventually led to a sobbing Lucy and Cana and a smiling Mirajane spilling the beans.

"We planned to push you guys together before you guys left for that mission. But Gray forgot pretty quickly at the prospect of getting into a brawl with Natsu. So we had a little help." Mirajane explained, the mischievous smile on her face was, ironically, lost on Erza and Natsu suddenly had a huge smile on his face.

"That son of a bitch! I've got to thank him when he comes back!" Natsu said suddenly, ignoring the fact how tender that information was.

"Thank who Natsu?" Erza said confused, placing a hand on her hips in accordance with her demanding glare.

The fact Natsu was still completely under her control, even though they were involved now, was, in his opinion, bullshit.

"Jellal. If I'm right, he was supposed to make me super jealous." He ended with a small look over to Mirajane, whom he presumed was the kingpin behind the whole plan.

A simple nod was his answer causing Natsu to shake his head and Erza to groan through the hand she had on her face.

"He certainly did a good job at that. Natsu was furious." She clarified, remembering how angry Natsu got when he thought Jellal was going to do something romantic.

Before any of them could continue with their conversation much longer, Natsu suddenly perked up and looked at the guild's doors. An action Erza was fully familiar with.

"Be careful." Was all she said, receiving a thankful look from the dragon slayer before he ran off.

No more than ten seconds later did a panicked scream reach the guild's ears.

"THERE YOU ARE!"

"OH SHIT!"

Suddenly, a smoldering Gray was launched through the guild's still open doors and came to a screeching halt just before Erza's terrifying glare.

 **"Ice Make-"** Gray attempted to create some type of diversion, but Erza's boot stomped his head into Fairy Tail's floor so viciously it shook the entire building. But all wasn't laughs in the guild…

Makarov watched Natsu leave with a suspicious glare. It seemed he was the only one who noticed it besides Natsu.

 _'Why do I get this terrible sense of foreboding?'_ Makarov, for as powerful as a wizard he was, felt an emotion he hadn't felt for some time.

Fear.

* * *

A Little Later

* * *

Natsu had not been gone for more than five minutes before coming back into the guild, but despite Erza's relief, Makarov did not feel the same.

"Scarlet, you and I need to talk." Natsu said suddenly, drawing the table's attention at the usually unheard use of Erza's last name.

Despite the confusion, Erza still had a good smile on her face at seeing Natsu had returned safely. "Sure Natsu, but you don't need to be so formal."

Watching, debatably, his two strongest wizards walk out of the guild together should bring absolutely no worries about whatever problem the two could have faced outside his guild.

So why was his hand shaking so badly that the drink in his hand spilled onto the barmaid?

* * *

With Natsu and Erza

* * *

"Where are we going?" She asked, wondering why she was going so deep into the forest with Natsu, who'd done nothing but glare darkly in front of them.

Suddenly the two stopped in a rather beautiful clearing. "Scarlet, at least know this isn't what I wanted to happen."

Erza had absolutely no reason to be on guard with Natsu around, she was actually happy that she was able to let her guard down around him.

Which is why she was completely blindsided.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** He brought his fiery punch into Erza's stomach, completely driving the air out of her lungs as well as completely destroying her armor and burning her skin.

She delivered her own punch to his face before jumping backwards and staggering slightly. He'd hit her so hard the back of her armor was cracked. But before she could recover, Natsu charged at her and immediately had her on the defensive.

She was able to grab his arm and yank him into a sudden elbow to the gut, driving the air from his lungs, before throwing him over her shoulder and into a tree. She quickly requiped into her flame empress armor and braced for any sudden attack.

After none came, she decided it was good to speak. "Care to explain the sneak attack Natsu? If you wanted to fight-" She didn't have any time to continue as Natsu got to his feet and charged again, leading to them trading blows.

He reared back to deliver another haymaker and Erza raised her sword to block it. But Natsu surprised her when he punched _through_ her sword, shattering it and hitting her dead in her unprepared face, sending her rolling over herself.

While she was still flying, she felt a grip on the back of her head drive her face into the ground hard enough to crack the terrain. She attempted to get on her feet before she would be subject to anymore sneak attacks, but Natsu's foot came down on the back of her armor, shattering it and causing her to cry out in pain as she felt her ribs crack from the force.

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** He shouted his spell as the powerful blast of his fire magic picked her up and carried her into a nearby rock wall, shattering it and burning her skin, despite the flame empress armor she was wearing. She shuddered to think if she wore something else.

Eventually, his attack stopped and Erza was left to fall out the crater her body made. She slowly made her way to her feet, shocked beyond words at how badly damaged and burnt her body was. Natsu had utterly dominated their fight, and she was already unable to continue. Leaning heavily on her broken weapon for support and her vision turning blurry.

Natsu started laughing softly. Walking slowly towards the tensed requip mage. "You really aren't all that tough." He said, getting in front of her and grinning ear to ear.

He quickly kicked her in the gut and drove her body back into the crater she fell out of. Twisting his fire coated foot into her the entire time.

"I really don't know why I was always frightened of you. But I don't particularly care anymore. Hell, I don't even know why I loved you at all!" He said, causing the red head in front of him to widen her eyes in surprise with tears threatening to spill.

"How could you say that!" It was all she could say without breaking down in front of him. She was still so confused on why he suddenly attacked her that it was all she could do.

"Shut up." He demanded, steam pouring from his mouth in waves that would have burnt her in any other situation.

He finally stopped grinding his burning foot into her gut and let her breathe again. Falling down onto her face as all the fight left her.

 **"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"**

Her head snapped up at the sound and she watched, wide eyed and terrified, at the large ball of flame that could very well kill her and her world went black.

* * *

Later

* * *

"I believe I'm done." Natsu said suddenly, grabbing at the locks of his hair in frustration.

"What…do you…mean by done?" Erza wheezed out, unable to speak long sentences or even more than a few words before her body said no more.

His head snapped down at her and cast a furious glare, angered that she even dared to speak in his presence. "I'm done with you. I'm done with your violence, your face, I'm even done with your body. You were so weak and easy that I've completely lost respect for you." His words were harsh and brutal, but they couldn't be the truth right?

She wasn't able to mask the hurt in her voice though. "You're…lying…" The tears rolled down her face as the man she loved completely disregarded her existence, lamenting the very fact that he'd ever fallen in love with her in the first place.

"I'm lying?!" He yelled, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her to his level, glaring pure unrestrained malice so viciously that Erza forgot how to breathe when he looked at her like that.

"Don't you tell me what I'm saying you…" He spat, little plumes of fire flying out of his mouth and singing her face and hair when they hit her.

He ruthlessly tightened his hold on her throat before he slammed her into the ground, nearly crushing her throat in the act. Out of desperation, she manifested a sword and attempted to stab at him to drive him off.

But Natsu surprised her again when he simply grabbed her sword and stopped it in his tacks, with only a minute amount of blood trickling its way down to her hand.

"So you tried to kill me?" He said this with a completely even voice, leaving her without any inclination of how to respond. Even if she didn't know how to respond to him without making him more angry, she knew that he was more than capable of dodging that slash.

"Of course…" He tightened the hold on her throat so she could neither breathe nor speak. Keeping her from being able to finish her piece.

"So you did try and kill me." Without anymore words, he yanked the sword from her hand and was poised to impale her. But, two things happened.

One was Erza losing consciousness since Natsu didn't release his grip around her throat. And the other was when the swords path was moved by a fast moving ice projectile. Leaving the sword nearly buried up to the hilt only inches from Erza's unconscious body.

Standing there was Gray, with a panicked and relieved look on his face that he'd made it in time.

"Master was right. There was something weird going on. Out with it ash brain, what the big problem?"

Natsu simply sat there with a dumbstruck look on his face before it changed into one of pure unabated rage.

"It's your problem now too!"

* * *

Later

* * *

"What're you smiling about?" Natsu questioned, fairly confused for the first time since their battle began.

"You aren't even acting like Natsu anymore are you?" She said, beginning to laugh lightly before a coughing fit stopped her.

As he was about to question her, a bolt of lightning slammed into his back causing him to drop Erza and turn to face his new adversary, but his eyes widened in surprise when he did.

In front of him stood the entirety of the Fairy Tail guild, and they looked angry.

"Oi! Natsu! You might want to calm down a little bit, you look like you want to tear our heads off." Laxus commented, more than a little happy he was allowed to beat on Natsu without any repercussions. Despite how twisted the reasons for that might be.

"Hey Salamander! Looks like we're settling our score right now!" Gajeel said, cracking his knuckles in anticipation with his own little trademark laugh.

"Natsu! We're here to help you!" Wendy said, only mildly confident her healing magic could stop whatever was controlling Natsu's mind.

"I can't believe you'd let something like this happen." Mirajane said, eyeing the downed Gray and Erza with caution.

"You and Erza start bumping uglies and you go crazy? You better have a damn good reason." A drunken brunette said, despite how obviously drunk she was she appeared more than ready to fight.

Their thoughts were echoed by their guildmates around them, everyone intent on helping Natsu or beat the shit out of him. In this situation it kind of went hand in hand.

He stared incredulously at the gathered crowd before turning his back on them and fully focusing on Erza again. An act that swiftly he regretted as several more attacks slammed into his back, causing him to swerve around and face the crowd with a furious expression on his face.

"Keep pushing my buttons and I'll make this involve every single one of you." He threatened, losing the last of his composure, he could hear some movement behind him and assumed Erza was awake again. What he wasn't expecting was for an icy punch to rattle his skull and knock him a good distance away from the unconscious requip user.

"This is Natsu! Hit him with everything!" Gray demanded, feeling every fiber of his being protest his sneak attack due to the immense damage of his body. He was able to grab Erza and get her away from the crazed Natsu before the retaliation came.

"GRAY!" Natsu shouted, unbelievably furious at his actions.

 **"Lightning Dragon's…"**

 **"Iron Dragon's…"**

 **"Sky Dragon's…"**

The three spells being cast, shocked Natsu right out of his fury as he quickly turned around in surprise.

 **"Roar!"** The three dragon slayers shouted in unison, combining all three of their magic in an attempt to stop him before anyone else could be hurt.

The resulting explosion utterly eclipsed the guild with its sheer size, sending debris everywhere. The resulting shockwave completely flattened out the forest for an entire mile. Natsu's pained scream filled all of their ears and it hurt them all to think they had caused him that kind of pain.

But as the dust settled, and the ringing of their ears stopped, everyone's hearts stopped when they saw the crazy bastard was still standing there with his arms crossed in front of his face with only minor injuries.

He lowered his arms and smirked darkly at them, before his scorching flames and lightning cloaked his body and the grin on his face changed to one of crazed excitement.

"My turn."

* * *

Later

* * *

"Gramps what the hell?! Why am I expelled from Fairy Tail?!" Natsu suddenly yelled, confusion, anger, as well as hurt clear in his tone. Everyone knew that it took a lot to get expelled from the guild and Natsu must have crossed the line.

Of course, the Natsu in front of them didn't say a word or move a muscle.

In their confusion, the guild members still standing turned around and became to shocked to speak. All except one.

"Natsu…" Erza said, relief in her tone that her suspicion was proven right. She ran to embrace him but collapsed due to exhaustion before she could move far. Surprisingly, she never hit the ground as a panicked Natsu had managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Erza! What happened?" He was too concerned about her to take in the condition of his friends. Something in his chest twisted painfully and reminded him of the day Igneel left, worse even. He had a sudden terrible realization hit him that he might lose her.

Erza smiled and reached up and touched his cheek with her hand. Loving the fact he quickly grabbed it and leaned into her touch. She suddenly felt so very tired in his arms, her limbs growing heavy with the feeling of security he brought her.

But first she had to point his vengeance in the right direction.

"Attacked." Was all she could say, pointing towards the other 'Natsu' standing on the other side of the field. Finally falling into unconsciousness afterwards.

"Erza!" He yelled, his breath hitched in his throat as he feared the worst had happened.

"It's all right Natsu, she's just unconscious." Wendy said, attempting to calm down the real Natsu before he had a breakdown.

He sighed in relief before his gaze hardened and he handed Wendy the out cold redhead whom he loved. Walking past his guildmates, everyone was harshly reminded how Natsu could never actually act that way to his own friends, his own family.

Frankly, they were terrified.

Everyone suddenly learned what had happened, they'd all been played for fools and none of them had been the wiser. It made their blood boil that someone impersonated one of their own and attempted to outright kill them. But they decided to let him deal with it.

But Natsu, he didn't really know what happened. He didn't really particularly care and he wasn't going to for quite some time until Erza was fully healed.

All he knew was that someone was going to die.

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy Natsu's pissed. And he is really pissed this time. I know I said I explained what happened to Natsu this chapter, but I really didn't did I? Well, I did but I just didn't tell you the specifics yet.**

 **Questions.**

 **Did you really think Natsu snapped? Natsu? Really?**

 **Do you want to see the impending beatdown or just skip it since we all know what's going to happen?**

 **Next chapter will be the finale regardless of your guys answers.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I've been really torn about what to do for this story. Leave it as is and wrap it up next chapter or turn it into a small epic with several more chapters where Fairy Tail hunts that ass hole down and exacts revenge.**

 **Regardless, if you read this and decide to review, please leave a small note in your review on if you took your insulin before the halfway point of the chapter. You really need to on this one guys.**

* * *

It was brutal. Even though it wasn't _their_ Natsu, the guild couldn't help but cringe after every blow that sent 'Natsu's' head snapping back violently and his body lurching forward immediately afterwards.

Spitting out a wad of blood that had pooled in his mouth, 'Natsu' jumped to his feet. **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** The strength of that punch was enough to shatter boulders like they were wet paper, but his fist was suddenly stopped as another fist slammed into it with enough force for audible cracking to be heard. It forced 'Natsu' to his knees before he found the actual Natsu's knee driven into his sternum.

While he was still reeling from the knee, Natsu twisted his copycat's hand until he felt the wrist splintering. He pulled the copycat into his own fist and glared darkly at the wheezing man at his feet.

 **"Fire Dragon's Claw!"** 'Natsu' was sent rolling as the fire coated foot slammed into his face with the power of a train on steroids.

A similar pattern repeated itself again and again as Natsu used his doppelganger to relieve his anger. And boy, was there was a lot of anger.

While Natsu seemed to be able to handle 'Natsu', everyone else was frantically dodging around their fight retrieving their unconscious guildmates, and heading back to the guild. Makarov stayed and watched, just as furious as Natsu was and ready to step in if Natsu found himself overwhelmed, as well as Wendy who was too busy healing Erza to help gather up their unconscious friends.

"Listen, uh, me." Natsu began, his voice, while carrying a bit of a childish confusion at the whole prospect of fighting himself, still somehow held a deep burning hatred for the person in front of him.

"The fact I can smell all my family's blood on you makes me see double I'm so mad. But because I can smell Erza's blood on you…you might be my first kill." Natsu stated, cracking his knuckles as his opponent struggled to his feet.

Believe it or not, Natsu wasn't actually sure he'd be able to stop himself. He just wanted to talk big since he couldn't really think straight. He'd completely forgotten about everything that didn't involve viciously beating the man in front of him and Erza. Once he was done he'd sit by Erza's side until she was better. Hopefully something would stop him, or it wouldn't. He found himself caring less and less.

"Your just a fool." He laughed out, finally getting onto his shaking feet before showing a sad display of power after his Lightning Dragon mode activated. Barely dispelling the dust from the area.

Another big checkmark on the 'do not do for the love of god in front of Natsu' list was doing anything insulting about dragons. Besides talking crap about Fairy Tail and the like.

And Natsu considered using _his_ Dragon Slayer magic a _big_ insult since he didn't deserve it.

"I'm ending this, I'll beat you up more later while we're interrogating you." Natsu then used his own Lighting Dragon mode and it was easily far more intimidating.

But that changed once Erza coughed up blood.

His attention was entirely focused on the violently shaking body of Erza and Wendy who was attempting to heal her. Makarov shouting at her to get her to Porlyusica before it was too late.

"Erza!" Reaching a hand out that was far too distant to do anything, Natsu turned to help before being interrupted.

"Wide open!" 'Natsu' yelled, charging at him with such speed that a nearly dead man shouldn't be able.

But just as the fist was about to close on Natsu's face, a fist came crashing down on his own face that interrupted his attack with a deafening and sickening crunch. Eyes red with rage, Natsu grabbed his head before slamming it into the ground, again and again before punching him in the face again and again.

In Natsu's worried mindset, the bastard might as well attacked Erza again right there. If she needed his help that badly, then any attempt to slow him down was simply treated as an attempt on her life. Which only meant one thing…

Natsu was done fucking around.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** Again, his destructive power was channeled into his fist, creating a large crater around 'Natsu's' body as Natsu's fist forced it deeper into the earth. He brought his hand back again and didn't bother shouting his technique again before raining hell down on his opponent.

A bloody, dazed, and beaten 'Natsu' simply gave up in the crater. He was about to be killed anyway so it didn't matter if he let the next attack kill him. But he was surprised when his arm was suddenly grabbed and lifted out of the body shaped crater before being slammed back down, on his stomach, with Natsu's foot driving into his back.

Natsu grinned at the position. Twisting the arm in his hands until its owner screamed, Natsu kept twisting until he heard a distinctive pop and the screams got louder until he started twisting some more and the blood curdling, agonizing, tortured screams increased again.

Some distance away, Makarov took the situation in heavily. In one hand, he should stop Natsu before he tore the man's arm off in rage. On the other hand though, Makarov _really_ wished to be in the dragon slayer's place right then. So he sighed and turned to his grandson.

"Will taking his arm off kill him?" He asked dryly, somewhat wishing he had some alcohol.

"Probably." Laxus, on the other hand, wished he had some popcorn. When the hell do you get to see two Natsu's beating the piss out of each other?

Makarov sighed again. "Best stop him then." Quickly appearing next to Natsu and using his magic to calm the boy's state of mind. It was obvious why he was so angry, so it was easy to dissuade to the back of his mind.

Placing a caring hand on his wizard's shoulder, he nodded his head off into the direction Erza was being carried off to. "Go to her."

And go he did.

Makarov looked down at the mysterious second Natsu before he sighed _again_ and turned to his still present grandson.

"I'm not carrying him."

* * *

Porlyusica's Hut, uh, Tree Trunk…Thing

* * *

"Let go of me dammit! OI! LET ME IN THERE!" Natsu raged, all he cared about was making sure Erza was okay. Of course the people hating healing wizard forced them all outside almost immediately, an action that made Natsu almost punch the old woman in the face, and now Gray was holding him back from busting down the door. Natsu and Gray were the only ones outside since Wendy was needed back at the guild to help the others before she passed out from just keeping Erza alive, and Gray also tagged along out of worry for his best friend.

He'd never actually say that though.

But Gray had really had enough already. "Fine! Go in there and get in the way of Porlyusica's healing and Erza might not make it! Either do that, or sit your ass down and wait!" Way rougher than he really needed to be, but he was in almost as bad a shape as Erza and his patience was already being worn down.

That finally got him to stop thrashing, if him being there would slow down her recovery then he would bear it. He'd bear anything for her. Gray finally released him and Natsu walked over to a tree and leaned against it with his back, his hands pressed to his eyes to stop the tears from flowing.

"Erza…" He mumbled, sliding down the tree he was against, more to say her name and taste it on his tongue than anything else. She'd had a wondrous calming affect when she was in his mind, but now all he could think about is what would happen if he got there too late to save her? _Did_ he get there too late to save her?

Gray sighed sadly while he looked at his friend. He'd really gotten himself worked up. A thought crossed his mind of trying to cheer him up, but how? He wasn't in the mood to fight and that was about all he knew that would cheer up the dragon slayer, well _almost_.

Gray decided to wing it.

"How the hell did you two start anyway? All I heard was you two hooked up and that was it. I refuse to accept that you were so charming she fell for you." He had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, but it seemed to work.

"Eh?" His mind was completely sidetracked at the bizarre question. Gray, the ice asshole, wanted to know how he and Erza got together? Really?

"You heard me. As much as I hate to admit it, you bagged a girl before I did and that makes me furious." He was desperately trying to get Natsu to give him a reason to flip out and start fighting, he really needed to keep his mind off Erza or he'd be a nervous wreck.

"Haha. Fuck you." Natsu laughed, flipping Gray the bird and snickering.

His left eye began twitching, he knew that he was purposefully trying to get Natsu to piss him off…

But he forgot how good he was at that.

"You wanna go match boy?" Gray taunted, his anger completely real, getting up in Natsu's face.

"Yeah I do ice tray!" Natsu responded in kind with an excited grin before letting it fall into a small smile and sliding back down the tree.

"Thanks buddy."

Buddy? The fuck? Natsu never called him by his name, never, so why the hell did he call him buddy? Well, he knew why, but he was still embarrassed at the unusual show of friendship from the pink haired man.

But that faded quickly once Gray remembered the burning question on his mind and his anger returned to the surface, his _real_ anger that one of his family members just nearly got killed, and he kicked Natsu in the face.

"Kind of missed the important question but, where the fuck were you?" The question needed no further explanation since Natsu's face darkened considerably.

"I know who did this, and it's my fault, but I know absolutely nothing about them. He said he knew where Igneel was, but now I know it was bullshit." Natsu spat, smacking the ground beside him with his fist.

"Doesn't answer my question. Good we know who it is, but that doesn't answer why you weren't there." He asked again, not bothering to tell him it wasn't his fault for right now.

"Like I said, he said he knew where Igneel was and to come there when I heard his stupid bell. I've been talking to him for almost a week now, and a day ago, Erza was with me once and he was angry. Today, we got into another argument and he said I'd pay and never hear from him again. I was so angry I just started tearing apart the forest around me. Eventually I calmed down and headed back into Magnolia, saw the fighting, headed over there, smelt Erza and everyone's blood, blacked out, and now all I have to show for it are a bunch of bruised knuckles from hitting that bastard so hard I was trying to punch through his body!" After his lengthy explanation, Natsu was left panting and visibly seething.

Gray didn't really know what to say, he wasn't angry at Natsu, not at all, but what should he say? If Erza were there she'd know what to say.

Thinking of Erza, Gray looked over to see if they looked done and saw Porlyusica staring at them. "Go see her Natsu."

And then he was gone. He followed shortly afterwards.

Natsu was already at the unconscious redhead's bedside by the time Gray caught up. Holding her hand with his and holding it against his face in a desperate attempt to feel her weak heartbeat and oh so pleasant warmth she always had in spades. Now he was hard-pressed to find any at all.

"Erza…"

"She'll pull through, take her back to your guild and I'll be right there to make sure she does."

* * *

Three Days Later

* * *

It had been three entire days, and Natsu still hadn't left the infirmary since Erza had been brought back. It was beyond touching to see Natsu's extent of his devotion. It was obvious to everyone who visited, Erza had become his entire world.

But that didn't stop the guild from _persuading_ the information out of the fake Natsu those three days. After hearing the last of the info was out in the open, Makarov decided to collect the harvest so to speak. He had allowed Warren as well as Mirajane interrogate the impostor. Warren because he's telepathic and Mirajane because she makes Makarov shit his pants.

"So how did the info extraction go?" The elderly man questioned.

"Oh it was good. Confusing though." Mirajane answered, a noticeable frown on the usually cheery women's face.

"Explain."

"Well, according to Warren, there's no kind of mental block on his memories so he knew everything he could have known if that makes sense." Mirajane paused to await Makarov's nod in understanding before continuing.

"Well, this guy _is_ Natsu. Same drive, emotions, memories, and hell he even has the same everything. You couldn't tell the two apart before Natsu got through with him." She decided to leave out the more private memories Natsu had involving a certain redhead to herself. Purely for blackmailing purposes.

Makarov was about to ask how this was good but Mira continued.

"But! There's some kind of magic on his mind, it affects his memories but not how you think. For example, if we asked Natsu what his first impression of Erza was now he'd say something stupid but sincere and charming right? But, if you asked the fake one, that memory's _emotional_ impact was completely different than the other one; presumably hate and anger."

Makarov looked down as the realization dawned on him. "So that means…"

Mira nodded in agreement. "Erza's being targeted because Natsu loves her."

Despite the dark revelation, the old master of Fairy Tail couldn't help but put a smile on his face. "It's still hard to believe that brat fell in love isn't it?"

A small little joke to take off the frightening intentions was something many of the guild members had already been doing. Gray had already had three separate attempts to prank Natsu foiled by untimely bar brawls which he began to suspect was on purpose.

With a tiny giggle Mira nodded her head. "I guess it takes a knight to tame a dragon. Right master?"

Said master actually paused to think about the analogy. "That's actually quite clever."

* * *

Infirmary

* * *

Those two, the knight and the dragon, were still in the infirmary together. With the dragon sleeping peacefully next to his unconscious lover. But, unknown to Natsu, Erza had already awoken and was simply too content to hold the dragon slayer's hand and watch him mumble her name in his sleep to wake him.

 _'What did I do in my life to deserve such adoration?'_ She thought, happily running her thumb along the back of her lover's hand soothingly when she heard him say her name in a worried tone.

 _'Lover.'_ She tasted the word on her tongue without saying it and found it the perfect way to describe her and Natsu. She smiled as much as her sore face allowed when he started nuzzling her hand again.

"That's nice…" He mumbled in his sleep again. A tiny grin noticeable on his face with a small blush accompanying it.

 _'I don't think I've ever heard him talk in his sleep this much before.'_

"You like that…" He said, continuing from his cliffhanger just a moment ago.

 _'Wait a minute…'_

"Feels good…Erza…"

 _'Is he…'_

A small glance towards the crotch region of Natsu's pants confirmed her suspicions when she noticed he seemed to be pitching, a rather large, tent at the ministrations that were going on his head.

Scarlet blushed a deep scarlet at the realization that Natsu was having a pretty vivid dream of him and her and he seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit. Steam may as well have poured out of her ears as the pleasurable images assaulted her already fairly perverted mind in waves; making her lose herself in the fantasy that she _wants_ to do and the reality that they _did_ do.

So, fighting the blush down, Erza adjusted herself to appear like she was waking up and gently nudged the dragon slayer with her eyes closed, feigning that she had just woken up.

But Natsu simply continued to snore.

With a small grunt of annoyance, Erza started back at the beginning of her act and poked Natsu in the face with his hand, that was still holding her's, several times.

But Natsu _still_ kept snoring, adding another line to his dream.

"Like it rough Erza…"

That was almost too much for the woman to handle. How did he know she always wanted it rough? She suddenly brought her hands to her face in an attempt to keep her from losing her nerve and doing something that would be _beyond_ embarrassing if they got caught.

But she wasn't paying attention to their position and when she brought her hand up she smacked Natsu dead in the face. _That_ woke him up.

"What's going on? Who's there?" He said, jumping up from his seat suddenly and accidently putting little Natsu right in Erza's face. Who had laid back down once he jumped up to avoid confusion and embarrassment. But when she noticed _it_ staring her in the face through Natsu's baggy pants, she couldn't help but reach out and poke it lightly with the tip of her finger.

Once Natsu had confirmed there was no threat in the room, he turned back to keep an eye on Erza before he recoiled slightly when he felt his member being poked by the women he believed unconscious.

Rather than shriek in embarrassment, Natsu just brought Erza in for a hug that she eagerly returned. She only embraced him tighter when she felt him shaking.

"I thought it was too late. I'm so sorry I went and talked to that guy or whatever it is. Please forgive me Erza." He was still shaking, but he managed to keep his tears away.

Erza soothingly ran her hand up and down his back. "It's all right Natsu. This was not your fault. It was just some bastard who used your family against you. You have no blame in what happened, no one blames you."

The two just continued to embrace one another and bask in the other's presence. One basking in the in the others presence terrified that this might be the last time and the other to simply enjoy it.

Natsu pulled away suddenly and just as she was about to object he brought their lips together in a passionate kiss. Slipping his tongue into her mouth he received a pleased moan and continued with even more vigor.

He broke the kiss for air. "Erza." He said breathily, the voice sending a jolt down her spine at the implications. He went in for another kiss as he pushed himself into her body to convince himself that she was still there and that she wasn't going anywhere. He slowly eased her down on to the bed, careful to not flare up her injuries before moving to be atop her.

"Natsu, we shouldn't with everyone so close by." She wanted to so badly, they'd worked each other up several times before being interrupted and she wanted to bridge this gap in their relationship just as bad as he did.

"Please Erza…" She'd never heard Natsu sound so desperate, so needing of her to listen to him before. She'd only heard him talk to her like that once back at the tower of heaven when he'd saved her life and he begged her not to risk her life again.

"I need this…I can't risk losing you again…I need to be with you in case someone takes you from me. Please-" She interrupted his heartfelt speech with the most fiery and passionate kiss she could muster. She kissed him so hard she thought her lips would bruise and he kissed back with the same intensity. Her hands slid back behind his neck to draw him closer and he did the same by cupping her cheeks with his hands.

She could feel Natsu's desperate need to make sure she was safe. She could feel his devotion, his fear of her dying, and she could feel the most powerful of his emotions for her, love, even without words as the two simply continued to kiss one another.

After they finally pulled away, Erza panted for breath. "On one condition, don't do this because you're scared. Natsu doesn't get scared. Do this because you love me. Show me."

Natsu learned at that moment that this was completely different from back in the alley the other day. That was sex, this was going to be making love. He'd never understood the difference until now.

"Of course." He spoke in such a loving tone that Erza could feel her heart melt before he cupped her cheek in his hand before kissing her again. This time, Natsu pulled away from the kiss and tossed his cloak somewhere across the room before diving down to capture her lips again

He started grinding their clothed lower bodies together to simply bring her as much pleasure as possible. While he did this he began nibbling her ear and leaving butterfly kisses all over her face just to touch her. After receiving a pleased moan because of his ministrations, Natsu moved his hand southward to begin unbuttoning her blouse and tossing it to the side.

His hand hovered over her bandaged chest, to afraid to touch it as he knew it would hurt her if he made the slightest mistake.

Without all her sounds being muted by Natsu's mouth and tongue, Erza grabbed his hand softly in her own before softly placing it against her bandaged breast. "It's all right. They were only stress fractures. I know how much you like them. They're healed."

Her breath was hitched as Natsu used his magic to heat up his hands and begin working up all of her sensitive spots with them, Rolling, cupping, and tasting her breasts and nipples to his heart's content.

He sat up suddenly, leaving Erza to pout until he began undoing his pants, something she was eager to help with. once those were gone, the two of them worked on getting her in the nude as well. Eventually, the two of them were now left to embrace in the nude.

He could feel every curve of her body, every scar from battle that she wore with pride, every perfect little detail that made her the perfect woman. She could also feel every same detail to the definition of his muscles, to the scars he had, as well as to how he held her so tenderly as if she could shatter with just the smallest touch in his hands, but yet hold so tightly it didn't hurt.

"I love you Erza." He stated, it was the most obvious thing in the world but it still made her the happiest woman in the world when she heard it.

"I love you too Natsu." Even though that was also the most obvious thing in the world, it still made him the happiest man in the world when he heard it.

He positioned himself in between her legs before leaning down and giving her a quick kiss before he entered her.

The corners of Erza's vision went dark as he took over her entire world. Right now, nothing mattered, just Natsu, her, and the act they wished to do together was all that mattered. Everything else could burn instead.

"Erza…" While inside her all of his actions were simply restricted to her. He could only speak her name, he could only smell her scent, he could only feel her skin, he could only see her beneath him staring up at him with the same burning passionate fire that was alight inside his heart when she became his everything and he her's.

"Natsu…" His movements made her mind numb with burning, white hot pleasure that wiped away everything else in her life and she couldn't have been happier. Nothing could ever replace the perfection that this moment carried with it. And if anything ever did she'd simply make more perfect memories since he was the perfect man.

His hands sneaked their way into her own, lacing his fingers with her's before driving her more powerfully into the mattress. He silenced her increasing moans with another passionate exchange of saliva that took the rest of her mind with it. She had been turned into a machine that could only recognize the pleasure he was giving her and the man himself and she didn't care. She wanted this moment to go on forever.

"Erza…" His movements became more erratic and desperate as he drove into her again and again as her own hips would rise to meet his as her own hips became more and more desperate and erratic as the two of them came ever so closer to reaching the peak.

"Natsu…" She could feel the fire inside her that had begun to grow ever since they started their act of love. It grew and grew with every one of his motions until it was to the absolute bursting point.

Natsu suddenly pushed into her one last time as her back arced off the mattress as they both simultaneously reached the peak with their own screams of the other's name. One was muffled by the messed hair and the mattress itself as he drove their bodies as far into the piece of furniture as he could. The other did not care about the rest of the world and yelled her release to the world.

"NATSU!"

Then as the burning fires died down around the two panting, sweating, and exhausted mages their shared one last naked embrace with a passionate kiss before sleep finally demanded they take their turn.

* * *

Guild Hall

* * *

Gajeel had waited for this moment for quite some time, so with a smile he walked up to the bar where Mirajane was busy laughing lightly with the master.

"Oi! Mira, I heard you finished up with the fake Natsu. Would it be…" Gajeel's sensitive ears picked up something that confused him. It sounded muffled and out of reach but he'd surely heard it before.

It sounded like moan coming from-

"BAHAHAHA!" Gajeel suddenly burst out laughing, surprising the two people next to him as he began hyperventilating from the severity of the laughter.

"Gajeel. Calm down, what's the matter?" Makarov said, somewhat worried that one of his wizards would choke to death on their own spit.

Gajeel finally calmed down enough to speak. Wiping a tear from his eye, he was about to speak up again when he saw Wendy from the corner of his eye looking around as if she'd heard the same thing he did.

"How old is Wendy again Mira?" He asked, confusing the barmaid greatly.

"Uh…twelve why-"

Eyes widening Gajeel suddenly pointed at Pantherlily who was conversing with Happy and Charla.

"LILY! COVER WENDY'S EARS NOW!"The tone in Gajeel's voice couldn't be discerned one way or the other except it being urgent and not to be disputed.

The guild went dead silent as Carla did the job for the surprised general cat. She was about to yell at Gajeel for his stupidity before a pleasurable yell was overheard by the dead silent guild hall.

"NATSU!" The passionate yell was followed by an earth shattering moan that greatly left the majority of Fairy Tail men uncomfortable, aroused, and scared all at the same time.

But the women knew exactly what that _particular_ moan meant.

Mira laughed behind her hand, despite the large blush on her cheeks. "We might have a new guild member coming soon master."

* * *

 **A/N: Did you actually take that insulin like I told you? That was actually my first romantic lemon lets say. Not my first lemon but probably my best. I'd actually like to know if that was done well or not because it was hard as fuck.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I really am not even going to predict how many chapters this is going to be because I'll be horribly wrong. I'll be honest though, I really had no idea what to write for this chapter, so I went with my gut and just made it entertaining. So please enjoy.**

* * *

"So, this is me eh?"

"Don't break his neck or injure him so badly he dies. Other than that go nuts."

Natsu had been led by Makarov to where they were keeping his counterpart so he could get his turn with the interrogation. They already had all the information they needed, but maybe Natsu could do the impossible, as he did on the regular when he felt like it, and find out exactly what the fuck his copy actually is and where it came from.

"Give us a bit." Despite not actually being the master and having no actual ability to order the _actual_ guild master around, Master Makarov felt a strong compulsion to leave and let the angry dragon that Natsu had become do whatever the fuck he wanted.

After that, they were alone, the clicking sound of a door locking following after it shut.

"Why did you attack the guild?" It wasn't a question, it was an order. An order that demanded to be answered.

"I just defended myself. If you were fighting someone and their allies started popping up everywhere you'd fight them too." Was his simple answer.

"That doesn't mean shit. If you're me and have all my memories, why the hell do you have such a hatred towards _my_ Erza." Usually, he wouldn't have called her his, but since he was actually sitting in front of himself, he wanted to make sure that his copy knew he had absolutely no claim on her.

He made an annoyed sound through his bloodied face. "The same reasons you should."

The table they were sitting on was completely solid steel that was nearly eight inches thick, so when Natsu used 'Natsu's' face to bend the whole table, it only showed the testament of his anger.

"I'm not going to listen to any insults. Give me reasons and I swear if you insult her again I will break you." The tone of his voice left no questions as to whether he would follow through on his threat.

Ignoring the eyes that were trying to bore holes into his head 'Natsu' continued. "Because, you should be furious that every time you get rowdy she decks you. You should be angry that she kicks the crap out of you whenever she feels like it. You should be angry that you can't do anything without her permission. Everything has to be done her way, you don't get a say in anything. I can only wonder what it's going to be like for you down the road."

At this Natsu laughed. "That's funny, you want me to get mad at her over how she shows she cares? Why would I do that? You know how I show someone I like 'em? I hit them in the face, I slam them through a table, and I dunk beer on their heads before I punch them and then slam them through a table. You get the picture."

Natsu had gotten the filler on how his memories of Erza were perceived but it had flown right over his head. All he got out of it is that this guy hated Erza. And that in turn made Natsu hate him.

"You're pathetic. You sound like one of those types that can't even laugh without making someone cry." Natsu said, gripping his copy with a single hand and lifting him straight out of his seat and slammed him into the wall and squeezed his hand that was crushing his head so hard the veins in his hand looked fit to burst.

To his credit 'Natsu' had a lot of backbone and refused to show even the smallest bit of fear, but he was still Natsu in the end so it was to be expected. "Why did you save her then?" Natsu asked, having his fill of squeezing his copy's skull. Said copy was quite thankful.

"What do you mean?" The prisoner asked, his tone clearly laced with confusion.

"If you feel the exact opposite of me about everything involving Erza, then why did you bother saving her in the first place at the tower?" He asked, keeping his face and voice blank.

'Natsu' furrowed his brow in confusion, he could recall the memory but he couldn't put any kind of reason or thought behind what had driven him to do it. All he could feel was an overlying hatred for the women he held so protectively in his arms.

Out of his silence Natsu apparently got whatever answer he was looking for in response and his glare was softened considerably. "Think back to Igneel, did you feel any kind of anger or resentment that you couldn't place?"

This question only served to confuse 'Natsu' even more, but out of boredom and curiosity he obliged. He searched his memories over the course of his life and didn't find any kind of emotions that Natsu was saying he had.

"No." Was his honest and simple answer.

Natsu nodded his head, expecting the answer.

"Did they show up when you met her?"

Her's identity was obvious. Natsu was talking about Erza, and this time his answer was quick and immediately obvious to both of them.

"Yeah, what does that have to do with anything?" He asked again, still just as confused as before.

"You're no more than a puppet. You're just like Jellal back in the-" Natsu was cut off by a furious growl emanating from his cuffed clone who looked none too happy about being compared to Jellal.

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to him." 'Natsu' said, straining immensely against the chains that bind him.

"Why?"

He stopped, what did he mean why? He hated Jellal's guts because…why did he hate Jellal for what he did at the tower? He'd done basically the same thing, except without the blind devotion to an ancient supposedly dead wizard.

"I don't know." The anger was still there but there was no form to it. Usually he could use his anger to fuel his magic but there was always a reason. Why couldn't he tell why?

"You know why, and because of that you're actually just like me. You care about everyone in this guild _except_ for Erza, doesn't that strike you as a bit odd? Just like Jellal…"

"I'm being used as a puppet." It was a weird realization, an angry and confusing one, but it was one.

"How? Why?" He wanted to know, needed to know, why he was being used. The sheer knowledge that he was would be infuriating. Which it was, a great deal.

"We don't know. And it's why I can't be angry at you. I forgave Jellal for what he did to Erza, so I have to forgive you for the same thing. Plus you're me, so maybe down the line we could double team Erza in the bedroom or wherever if she's cool with it." And just like that, all of Natsu's anger towards the man was gone and replacing it was a desire to help him start over.

 _'Like hell I'd share her.'_ Of course, Natsu had a certain effect on Erza and he himself had yet to realize the power of 'you don't get laid unless…'. But Natsu didn't know Erza was a huge closet pervert and that the idea of _two_ Natsu's in the bedroom may very well leave her a drooling mess.

'Natsu' on the other hand, was simply left a spitting and stuttering mess and felt a sharp pang of jealousy for sharing the woman spike up even though he hated her. The whole mess was just confusing him now and he just wanted some peace to sort it all out.

"Just leave me alone." He asked, sighing and refusing to look at him with a small blush on his face. He may not like her, but Erza _was_ drop dead sexy. As well as drop dead terrifying and any other drop dead you could think of.

With a victorious smile he began walking out of the room but stopped at the door. "I'll get Mira to get you something to eat after I explain your circumstances, you can even leave if you want, maybe, depends on how the old man feels." He may have felt bad, but it wasn't his call what happened. If Makarov wanted his balls on three separate plates he'd get them.

In any other circumstance, a prisoner of Fairy Tail would actually be extremely confused at the show of forgiveness Natsu had just displayed towards his guild's enemy.

But this prisoner was still _technically_ Natsu, so it made perfect sense to him.

"Oi, Mira." At Natsu's call, Mirajane suddenly became very interested in whatever he had to say and immediately dropped the conversation with Gray. Who looked over highly annoyed until he saw it was Natsu. He was then very pissed.

"Give me details." Mira said, a terrifying false look of innocence on her face as she pulled a notebook out of nowhere.

"All I did was bend the table down there with his face and that was it. Well I did crush his skull a little too. But _that's_ all I did. Where's Erza?" Natsu explained, leaving a pouting Mirajane, without any brutal details on the beating she had wished.

"Over there. Go on you." She said, pointing to the table consisting of Team Natsu minus Gray.

"Thanks. Oh, I want to talk to you and gramps later. Plus bring that guy some food and don't poison or tamper with it please. It's important." He added that last part at seeing her looking at the rat poison in the corner.

"Fine. I'm still spitting in it though." She grumbled to herself, moving about and continuing her conversation with Gray as if nothing happened.

Natsu smiled at the sight of his favorite redhead and immediately sat next to her and slid an arm around her shoulder. The act immediately earning him a fierce elbow to his gut.

"Ow! Erza! What was that for?" He groaned, rubbing his sore stomach with the hand he hastily removed from her armored body.

Speaking of Erza, after her and Natsu's _session,_ she had demanded to leaveand be able to relax in the guildhall and everyone else was too terrified to tell her no after she put Gray's head in a wall to prove her point after he'd attempted to convince her otherwise.

"Oh no Natsu. What's wrong with you?" She said worried, putting a hand on his head as if she was checking for a fever and completely ignoring the fact she'd elbowed him in the gut.

"What do you mean…" The terrifying glare she sent at him just screamed at him to _shut up_.

"You're burning up. I'll be right back everyone, I'm going to go take Natsu to the infirmary and give him some _medicine_." Unseen by the rest of the table, Erza used her hidden hand to, not so gently, grab little Natsu under the table at the word medicine. Silently telling him what she intended by _medicine_.

"Yeah your right Erza. Talking to that guy made me feel weird." The two of them were about to leave until an _incredibly_ unlucky ice mage returned with his and Lucy's drink.

"What are you talking about ash brain? You look fine. So sit down and shut up." A confused, but curious, Gray said, wondering why they were both blatantly lying.

Usually Natsu would insult Gray at this point but he had a mission. "Out of the way pervert, I feel sick. I need some medicine in the infirmary and Erza knows where it is." He was thinking surprisingly quick on his feet.

Gray's eye twitched. "Why are you calling me a pervert? You guys are the ones who had sex in the guild yesterday!"

The couple froze in place, Erza had so much blood rushing to her face at the proclamation that it was amazing she didn't bleed from her ears. Natsu, however, jumped to the wrong conclusion almost immediately.

"Were you spying on us?!" He hissed quietly, grabbing Gray by the collar of his shirt which he hadn't stripped off yet. Still unknowing that the entire guild already knew and that Gray _didn't_ tell everyone this time. Of course he didn't have much of a reason to think otherwise since it was Gray's fault _every_ other time.

Gray immediately paled. "Hell no! Imagining you naked makes me sick! The entire guild heard you guys yesterday! _Literally_ everyone heard her screaming your name you dumbass!" He finished, pointing a finger at the _even_ redder in the face Erza, if that was at all possible.

Erza was left a stuttering mess that was completely unable to form a coherent thought, let alone a response, and Natsu immediately dropped Gray in shock. The rest of the guild had eventually heard their dispute and was now paying all of their attention towards the shell shocked couple.

Finally, Erza was able to speak. "E-E-E-Everyone k-k-knows?" She whispered to Lucy, silently praying that what Gray was saying wasn't true.

Lucy nodded her own flushed face.

This lead to Erza suddenly burying her head in her arms, refusing to look anybody in the face and trying to become invisible through sheer force of will. But Natsu? Natsu had other plans.

Whispering something in Erza's ear, Natsu suddenly jumped onto a nearby table, drawing the guild's attention to himself.

"Yeah that's right. What you all already know is true. I managed to bed Titania, live to tell the tale, and made it feel so good the whole guild could hear it. Is there anybody else in this room who could do the same? Hmm?" He was challenging every single man in the room's pride, and he already had a response planned for anybody that did.

What response? Tell the chick that's into them to do it right then.

Gray immediately raised his hand. Believing every other guy would do the same and because Natsu was challenging him.

How wrong and foolish he was.

"Oh? I doubt you'd be willing to prove it." Natsu challenged, fully prepared for this despite the little apparent time he'd had to think about it. But in actuality, he'd been planning something roughly along these lines for embarrassment purposes. When he'd originally thought it up though weeks ago, he wisely planned to never include Erza in it.

"And why the hell wouldn't I want to prove it?" He been focusing a little too much on the sex part of the challenge and not the _where_ part of the challenge.

"Five hundred thousand jewels says you won't." Natsu continued to egg on his rival.

"Bring it." The two extended their hands and shook on it, Natsu immediately taking out a bag of money from nowhere.

"Juvia take Gray to the infirmary and start please." Natsu ordered, the water wizard immediately latching onto the ice wizard before he could protest. Said ice wizard beginning to realize exactly what he'd just agreed to. His feeble cries of resistance eventually being drowned out into silence.

Everyone simply sat and stared and waited for something to happen.

"Hey Freed, could you put an enchantment up that doesn't let sound out for me? I'll give you half the pot."

The guild immediately began laughing, Natsu had planned this out from the beginning. They could only guess about how long it had taken him to come up with such a convoluted plan like that.

Answer: a week.

The guild then returned to whatever business they had attended to before Gray embarrassed the couple by accident, for once. While he had meant to have an enjoyable chat with Erza and his team, and maybe some flirting to bother Lucy, he realized he'd need to have that talk with Makarov and Mira since they knew what he was.

 _'Erza might want to be in on that conversation.'_ Natsu thought to himself, he'd ask her then.

"Erza, do you want to talk with gramps and Mira with me?" He asked, kind of curious as to how she would react to being double teamed by two of him since he got flustered.

"About what?" She asked, still really flustered from the realization that everyone knew what they did.

Natsu simply pointed to the floor and, in actuality, the copy of him and stayed silent. She understood and shook her head in agreement and began to get out of her seat. Natsu moved to help but a painful grip on his wrist told him otherwise.

Soon, the four of them were in Makarov's office and Makarov himself was eager to hear if Natsu had found any new information. He had little hopes but he hoped anyway.

"So to start it off, I, uh, kind of want his help." Natsu said, scratching the back of his head and fiddling with his scarf at the glares boring into his skull. Or a bit more accurately, his soul.

One word came to all of their minds. "Why?" Natsu had far less blood on him than the three thought he would, but leave it to Natsu to do something unexpected.

"Because I think I got through to him." He explained. The words causing Mirajane and Makarov to stare incredulously at him as if he'd suddenly grown a third eyeball. Erza only sighed and ran a hand down her face.

"You figured out he was basically a puppet didn't you?" She said, leaving her hand on her chin and staring at him.

"Pretty much, when did you figure it out?" He asked, curious.

"During our fight slash beating." In truth she only figured out about half of it and the explanation on whatever the fuck he was from Mira only solidified her belief and Natsu had just confirmed it.

Natsu wouldn't voice his surprise because it was currently warring with his jealousy. It had taken him all day yesterday to prepare that speech of his and figure out how to talk to him without breaking all of his bones.

"Even if he is a puppet." Makarov said, drawing attention back to the matter at hand. "He was an all too willing puppet for him to be trusted."

"Not true gramps. He feels the same way about everyone here that I do. He'd protect this guild to his last dying breath, he'd protect everyone in it, except Erza. But believe me, he feels the same way about her I do." He said, crossing his arms.

Makarov's brow furrowed in concentration and he crossed his own arms. "Do you have any proof other than gut instinct?" Gut instinct may as well have been fact when it came to Natsu though.

"Well, he's me that's had his memories tampered with _after_ he was made. There were problems with his memories." Natsu coughed into his hand as he began trying to explain. "Well, all the way back at the tower of heaven, if it was around that time and someone compared me to Jellal I'd get furious, I compared him to Jellal and he did exactly that. So he's angry that I'm comparing him to someone that would use Erza."

"And?" Makarov prodded, beginning to see the point.

"Well, he remembers all of the time I've spent with Erza and all he can feel is anger. But when he saves her life and she saves mine, he can't feel anything. Because in those moments, he's feeling, well love for her, to put it bluntly and he doesn't feel anything. So that points to his memories being messed with after he was created right? Or do I have it backwards here?"

"I see. You are right, his memories were altered afterwards, yes. Go on." Makarov continued prodding, he'd seen the point but decided to let Natsu have his moment.

Natsu nodded. "Plus, if I can get a feel on the magic he's using, my copy's magic, then I might be able to tell who the real culprit behind this is. You know now that I think about it, that guy might be behind that one big guy that tried to ambush us last job. Remember him Erza?"

Erza herself jumped lightly at the use of her name. "I'd completely forgotten about him, but he could have had any information on any of the guild members. So it might have just been a coincidence, though the timing does seem odd."

"There was a hitman after the guild and you didn't tell me?" Makarov said, a small flicker of irritation present in his voice.

Erza stuck up for him. "To be fair, it seemed he only had info on us. Plus, he was pretty easy to take care of."

Natsu nodded in agreement, he had been quite weak. "Back on subject, my copy really is similar to Jellal. Just don't say that to his face, so I think he'd actually be eager to help us you know? After all, this is his guild and he does have the mark."

There he went again, sticking up for anybody that needed it.

Makarov sighed and ran a hand through his, nonexistent, hair. Thinking deeply, he couldn't really say that the prospect of two Natsus being in the guild wasn't amusing. An image of two Natsus beating the shit out of Gray flashed through his mind.

Mirajane took this opportunity to get a few jabs in. "I'm sure Erza wouldn't mind a second Natsu around. Eh, master?" She said with a coy smile on her face.

The two men in the room could only snicker as Erza became a blushing mess at the implications that two of her lover could involve, that particular train of thought turned perverted fairly quickly.

Natsu decided to add his own fuel to the fire.

"If Erza gets a second me then I want a second Erza." He was completely oblivious to the hole he had just dug himself in even as the temperature in the room dropped several degrees.

"Oh? Am I not good enough for you N-a-t-s-u?" She delivered the threat, disguised as a question, with a voice that promised pain. Because it always resulted in pain.

He'd only meant it as a joke.

What followed was the most severe blow to male genitalia Makarov had ever seen.

* * *

 **A/N: Done, as I said, please enjoy this somewhat meaningless chapter.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm back after a particularly long string of not updating. Apologies, very large and many apologies. I've been busy with going back to school from break** and **preparing for the stupid ACT test and bla bla bla. I also rewrote this entire chapter, twice, before I was happy with it. So that didn't help with the wait.**

 **Anyway, on a side note, I just finished watching all of the anime there is so far and unfortunately had some PRETTY FUCKING BIG spoilers dropped on me out of fucking nowhere. I really didn't want to read the manga and wanted to watch the show but now I know a lot of plot details due to my burning curiosity and demand to know what that meant. So I have to ask a question. Spoiler if you don't read the manga btw.**

 **Natsu is END right? So what happens if END is revived? I think somewhere someone said the only thing sealed in the tome of END were his memories. So what would happen then? Would Natsu's personality be destroyed and replaced with END's or would he be Natsu with just END's memories and presumably power? Just my curiosity but I would really appreciate an answer since I don't want to read the manga and want to watch the show.**

 **Ranted a bit there...oops. Anyway, sorry this is pretty short but it will pick up a lot from here on out I promise. Please review or PM or whatever if you enjoyed.**

* * *

He was dead. And there wasn't even a mark on him.

Natsu had convinced himself, along with his guildmates and Makarov, that his mysterious copy would be able to help them find whoever had manipulated him since he clearly was angry at being used. It had been difficult, but he was determined to convince them. The fact that there were already previous members of the guild that were enemies in already helped his case. So he'd made his way down with Erza, who had the key for reasons she wouldn't say, Natsu suspected dirty reasons, and had found out his copy was dead.

"It makes sense." Erza began sadly, even if it wasn't Natsu, this body painted a _very_ clear image of what it would look like if it were the case though. "If he really was a puppet, it would make sense if he had some kind of kill switch in case this kind of situation happened."

Natsu sniffed the air, hoping it had just been some kind of burglary and he could catch the attacker's smell. But all he could smell was the faint smell of beer, his own scent, and the strawberry scent of his lover next to him.

"Dammit, now we're back to square one. What do we do? We don't have any leads and this guy looks like he works alone." Natsu asked, refusing to look at his own corpse.

However, instead of the calculated response she'd wanted to give him, her nerve broke instead. "I can't look at this anymore. It looks too much like you."

The sight shook him too. But it was obvious by the way she held onto his arm that is was much worse for her. "Hey, none of that now."

"I can't help it…" She responded again, it was actually becoming difficult to stay in this room.

"That's not me Erza." He began, pulling her away and placing his hands on her shoulders to look in her eyes and assure himself that she wouldn't run away. "You know why that's not me? Because of a few reasons."

"One, I'm going to die with a smile on my face. The reason I have that smile is because everyone whom I love is going the be there when I do die. Two, I'm going to be older than dirt when I go. And three, you're going to die before I do because I can't let you cry anymore, especially if it's over me." He finished his little speech by tightly embracing her to try and show her that he was serious.

She sighed in contentment, returning his embrace just as tightly and burying her head in the crook of his neck as he ran one of his hands soothingly through her hair. Seriously, where did he learn to be so romantic?

"Now go tell gramps about what happened. And I'll, I don't know, keep looking for something before I join you." He didn't want to stop holding her like this, so he placated himself with a quick kiss before she left the room.

"Now what am I looking for?"

* * *

With Erza

* * *

"Are you sure?" Makarov asked angrily, just as they were about to set out and start sending teams out he just up and dies?

"I'm sorry master. But that's all we know as well, Natsu is double checking the room as we speak and he sent me up here to tell you the news since…" Erza had a hard time admitting that she couldn't bear the sight of any dead Natsu. Just thinking about it sent shivers up her spine.

"I understand. No one would like to see him dead of all people. Especially you." He sighed, placing the mug that he was drinking from down and stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"He really has matured a lot lately hasn't he?" Makarov said, relishing in the many memories he had of Natsu being…Natsu over the years.

Erza smiled softly and went through her own memories along with the master. "Yes he has." The two remained in a pleasant silence as Makarov's face suddenly showed signs of desperately wanting to ask something, but his mind being far too terrified to do so.

"If I say something about retiring and passing on the master title, would you still deny it?" He asked, a serious expression replacing his terrified one.

"Yes I would. You're far more suited to be master than I am." She answered honestly, there wasn't a bone in her body that believed otherwise.

He sighed in agitation. He was old! Why couldn't he enjoy his golden years without paying for all the damages and worrying about these brats? He'd done it for long enough already! It was time to play dirty.

"Either you take the position, or I'll give it to Natsu."

Erza became flustered. "No, you can't do that. Natsu feels the same way about the position as I do." It wasn't that she didn't believe Natsu wouldn't make a good master. She believed that wholeheartedly.

It was only because she would hardly see him if he was master and that was unacceptable.

"If I talk to him and say I might be giving it to Gray he'd do it."

Her eye twitched in frustration. Natsu _would_ fall for something like that because he refused to let Gray win anything if he could help it.

"That's not fair master." She pouted.

"All's fair in love in war!" He said, grinning ear to ear.

Erza wanted to tear her hair out in frustration. "Ugh. He's so frustratingly predictable I just want to strangle him."

Her tirade stopped suddenly as she sighed pleasantly. "But then I remember that thing he can do with his tongue-"

A large explosion cut off the two mages as the floor beneath them blew apart and the two Natsu's busted through the wall nearby. Dragging the fight outside.

* * *

With Natsu

* * *

A powerful right hook sent Natsu rolling on the ground. He righted himself quickly only to be caught with a **Fire Dragon's Claw** to his unprepared face. Sending him careening into the ground again and tearing it up as he rolled.

Spitting out a wad of dirt and blood that had pooled in his mouth, Natsu jumped to his feet again and met his attacker's fire enhanced punch with his own; causing a fiery explosion centered around the two that only managed to push them both backwards and catching the nearby ground on fire.

Natsu grimaced and placed a hand on his side where a chunk of tree was embedded six inches deep and yanked out the limb before cauterizing the wound with his magic.

 _'That. Fucking. Hurt.'_

He didn't know why his copy suddenly attacked. He was dead wasn't he? He wasn't given much more time to think before his copy moved to attack again.

 **"Fire Dragon's…"** 'Natsu' began, placing his hands in front of his mouth and his face swelling up with _his_ magic.

Natsu swore, he really wanted to clash? Then he'd get one.

 **"Fire Dragon's…"** Natsu mimicked his copy's actions and swelled with his fire before launching it with as much force as possible.

 **"Roar!"** They both shouted. The two fire spells clashed in an awe inspiring explosion that rained down embers on the two as the two attacks fought for dominance. To his great surprise, Natsu found his attack, surprisingly easily, overwhelmed as the fire swallowed up his attack as well as him and, even more surprisingly, begin to burn him.

He rose to his feet again and ignored the burning sensation on his body but wasn't able to shake to bizarre feeling he got from the burns. He'd been burned a few times in his life, but it was mostly when he began his training with Igneel; after that he never really was able to get burned. This burning sensation was completely different and he began feeling weird because of it.

"I think I can tell by the look on your face that you felt the difference in my magic from before." 'Natsu' said, brushing off the dirt on his shoulders and completely disregarding Natsu as a threat.

"How are you even alive and why can't I eat your fire?" Resurrecting the dead was a bit more important than how he could be burnt and why he couldn't eat them. After all, he _had_ been burnt before by other fire mages when he couldn't eat their flames. So he didn't worry about it, as much at least.

"Well, in the end, I am a puppet on strings. So my puppeteer can do whatever the hell they please with my body. The magic I use being no exception." A smug grin made its way to his face. "A nice bonus to that is now that I've seen you at the peak of your strength, I can handle it with one hand behind my back."

"But you're still using my magic! Stop using it or I'll make you pay!" It may have been twisted and almost unrecognizable, but any fire mage worth their salt could tell it was still the same flame.

"Make me." He simply said, the grin dropping from his face and a serious expression replacing it.

Natsu's face twisted in anger before clambering back onto his feet and cracking his neck and knuckles. "I think the warm up is good. Let's get serious."

Being a full carbon copy at one point, he knew full well what not to say if he wanted to keep Natsu from using his unshakeable will and drive and somehow pull out a victory. He was stronger than Natsu now by a large amount, but it would best pay to be careful. "If you insist."

 **"Fire Dragon's Roar!"** The mass of fire slammed into the ground just before 'Natsu's feet and created a large plume of smoke that blocked his sight completely.

 _'He's going to jump through the dust ready to go.'_

Sure enough, Natsu did just that and was immediately punished for his predictability by a **Fire dragon's Claw** smashing into the side of his face and crashing him into the ground. He wiped the blood that leaked from his mouth and ignored the new burn on his face and charged again.

'Natsu' parried the fist and used his momentum to trip him and grab the arm before throwing him into the guild wall. Natsu landed on his shaky feet and smacked his fists together before jumping into the air and launching his **Fire Dragon's Wing Attack** and creating a fiery explosion.

There was a moment where Natsu lost sight of his enemy, but leading by his example, 'Natsu' jumped through the cloud of dust with his fists alight and punched him square in the face before roundhouse kicking him in the wound on his side with a **Fire Dragon's Claw**. Opening the wound back up and causing the dragon slayer to bleed profusely and begin to have trouble breathing.

Whatever was wrong with his copycats flames were beginning to take its toll on his magic. It took a noticeably longer time before the wound closed back up again and for him to get his breathing under control.

 _'This is bad. Any longer and I won't be able to control my flames…if I'm still alive.'_ Usually, Natsu would have just put on a confident grin and began turning the table with sheer force of will, but something in the back of his mind was utterly _terrified_. It felt like someone was watching his every move, just waiting for the right opportunity to show themselves.

His vision began to blur and no matter how hard he tried to stay standing, he collapsed to a knee and could only watch as his **Fire Dragon's Roar** slammed into his body and carried him into the guild wall. Burning his front and bruising his back as he blasted into the wall and could only gasp at the pain.

But his duplicate wasn't satisfied. **"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"** He launched from his position at a frightening speed and spun so fast that the fire surrounding him looked like it came from the air around him igniting rather than himself emitting the fire.

The attack sent him flying back into the guild, via through the wall, a dazed, burnt, and more bloody body than before. After stopping, he simply groaned as the wound in his side opened up again and the immensely painful sensation lit his mind up every time he tried to move as the wound, along with the rest of his body, fiercely protested the action. His head started to get fuzzy and he almost lost consciousness before he shook his head to clear the cobwebs and crawled onto his feet. Glaring daggers at him the entire time.

"Natsu!" The guild called out, confused and ready for action until Natsu's voice halted them.

"No, no he's mine. Everyone else back off." 'Natsu' said, walking through the hold Natsu's body made as he painfully flew through it.

Natsu cursed again, lighting up his fists and charging. He jumped over an attempted high kick and landed on the wall before using the flames pouring out of his feet to launch himself into his copy and deliver a flying knee into his face and staggered the man.

Natsu immediately grabbed a nearby table and smashed it over his head before hitting him in the face with a **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist.** 'Natsu' blasted into the guild wall from its power but not going through it as he had done.

He launched at his copy with flame propelled jet assistance and slammed a fiery elbow into his stomach hard enough to drive all the air out of his copy's lungs, as well as a little blood. Not giving his stomach a break, Natsu moved his copy's hands off his stomach and before he could react, delivered another **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist** to his gut and sent him flying into the bar. Thankfully everyone had been out of the way.

He moved to continue his assault but the wound on his side flared up in protest and he dropped to a knee and tried to close it again. Noting how much longer it took compared to the last time.

 _'Why am I so tired already? We just started!'_

He'd need help from Wendy's healing magic before he could continue fighting.

"Wendy! Heal me please! Something's wrong with me!" Natsu asked, missing the angry looks he got from his guildmates. As he wracked his brain to find out his problem, he was oblivious to 'Natsu' smirking.

Wendy moved to heal him, but a hand from Erza stopped her as she eyed the down Natsu cautiously. Why was Natsu asking for help? The last time they fought he was able to handle the doppelganger fairly easily. Something was wrong and it became clear that the Natsu asking for help _wasn't_ the real Natsu as the 'real' one rose to his feet with an enraged look on his face more than a pained one.

"Who the hell do you think you are demanding my guild to do what you want?" He accentuated his anger with a flying kick that Natsu was unable to dodge that sent him crashing painfully into the guild's wall again.

"You think just because you…" 'Natsu' paused to lift Natsu by his scarf and punch him in the stomach with **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist**. "Look like me…" He punched him in the stomach again, making Natsu cough up a small amount of blood. "You can tell them what to do?!" He ended his statement before pulling his hand back again, poised to deliver the finishing blow, but a voice stopped him.

"Natsu!" It was Erza. "Calm down, I know you're angry. But stop yourself." She had to stop him before he beat him to death.

'Natsu' paused before breathing deeply and exhaling several times before turning and giving Erza half of his gaze to keep the beaten dragon slayer in his peripheral vision. "All right. I'm calm. What do you want? I'm a little preoccupied."

"What happened? How is he alive?" She asked, getting confused looks from the guild around them. The question of 'When did he die?' circulating in their minds.

'Natsu' spit on the ground. "After our argument, I took his chains off and he suddenly sprung up and attacked me and we got here in the fight. That's about all I know."

The woozy Natsu suddenly perked up as a look of realization dawned on Erza's face and his own turned into genuine fury.

"That wasn't an argument you piece of shit!" The dragon slayer, reinvigorated by his anger, head butted his copy in the nose hard enough to break it and let him go before tackling him into the ground.

 **"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"** The power behind that punch was enough to shake the foundation of the building as a crater formed around the fighting duo as dirt and debris flew everywhere around them.

Natsu stared down at his unconscious copy with a smirk of victory. He slowly rose to his feet and finally noticed that the air around him felt unusually heavy and lifeless.

"To think you were able to destroy even my puppet. What the hell does it take to put you down?" A voice from behind him said.

Whirling around, an action he regretted due to his injuries, and staring at the newcomer in confusion, he began to take in the figure's appearance. The figure was robed in a long black trench coat that completely hid the details of the persons face, the only thing it didn't hide was the creamy white skin, long brown hair, and the purple boots that could be seen at the bottom of the jacket.

"Who the hell are you?" He'd have to leave the newcomer to his guild because he was _not_ going to risk his life fighting someone he didn't know and as beat up as he was. He'd never forgive himself if he caused Erza that sort of pain.

The figure seemed to read his mind. "Your guild isn't going to save you, I've temporarily made the time pass for us much faster than that of those around us. So to us it appears if they are frozen." The figure wouldn't admit it, but this particular lost magic was difficult as fuck to maintain for more than a couple of minutes.

The word 'puppet' clicked in his mind as his glare became so warped with hate that he almost seemed like he wasn't injured in the slightest.

"You're the one who hurt Erza…" The words were spoken with such contempt that the figure was reminded why Natsu Dragneel _needed to_ die. Right now.

So the figure did just that, using the lost magic to freeze Natsu and simultaneously unfreeze the guild, and rammed their hand through his chest. The offending hand dripping with Natsu's red blood as well as a mysterious other liquid that he could tell was present in his copy's fire.

"To think I'd have to kill you myself. Enjoy the afterlife." The figure said before fading out of sight as if it had never been there. Leaving a dying Natsu with a gaping hole in his chest to stare at his friends crying faces as he lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N: There it is, the first real fight in the series and it's still unbelievably short. Sorry about that, bu what I'm trying to do is make it so that the action in the series isn't horribly overdone, like a few stories on here. Not that it makes it bad, I'm just trying to keep it unpredictable as to when it shows up.**

 **Plus, I'm not confident in my abilities to write fight scenes. Like at all. I'd like to know if I did anything glaringly wrong so I wouldn't do it again. So please feel free to tell me. Even a nice little, the fight was good, really helps. I hope you enjoyed and from here on out things are going to pick up a bit.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Not too much to say here, but I will say that I did take longer to update this time. Though it wasn't my bad, I actually spent the last three days starting a new Fairy Tail story. It's an AU where Makarov never found Natsu if anyone's curious. It's called A Different Path. Go nuts if you want.**

 **Anyway, that's everything I wanted to say. Enjoy this bad mofo.**

* * *

"Is he still out?" Gray asked his master, a depressed air around the usually boisterous mage.

Makarov sighed heavily. "If you call hanging by a thread 'out', then yeah. He's still hanging on." The damage to the bar had long since been repaired. It was more shocking to see Natsu almost die right there in the guild hall.

He had actually died. He'd been dead for six minutes before he suddenly came back. Natsu just simply refused to die was the way he liked to put it, but something was stopping his recovery. All that Porlyusica and Wendy had been able to deduce was that it was some kind of poison specifically made to combat dragon slayers; so he had pulled Wendy away from treating Natsu with a heavy heart to keep her from getting infected as well.

Gray growled lightly and clenched his hands painfully tight. "Do we have any idea who this person is?" He'd had plenty more to say, but he was really just far too angry to say anything else without breaking things.

"If she can extract the poison and identify it, then perhaps we can figure out who made the poison, or whoever they sold it to." Makarov said, his joyful manner buried under the dread of losing one of his children.

Gray's expression darkened. "That's it? We just have to hope now?" He hated, _despised_ , standing by while one of his friends suffered. He'd even stood there and watched Natsu get his ass kicked because when he was tricked, along with the rest of the guild, into sitting by and watching. He couldn't imagine how bad Erza had too of felt through all of this.

"Do you have any better ideas? I want to do something too, but if the copies our enemy can produce can be just as strong or stronger than us we can't act recklessly. As far as we know, Natsu is the only one they can copy. And we have to keep it that way." The words felt foreign coming from his mouth, he'd always hated having to keep his children from lashing out when he wanted to do the same thing. But an enemy that can put Natsu at death's door was an enemy worth pause.

Gray had enough, not of his master, but of the conversation, and turned around and stomped out of his office before he sat down to keep his temper, the temper he routinely made fun of Natsu for, in check. It was a lot harder than he was used to.

When the guild doors opened, no one paid more than a glance, but everyone paid more of a glance at the sight of Mystogan standing at the door. Even though he was no longer of their world. With Makarov's permission, Jellal had taken up to impersonating Mystogan while he was in Magnolia to avoid persecution as well as the rune knights. But thankfully, Makarov had _eventually_ gotten around to explaining that Jellal might bum around.

But _Mystogan_ was a wizard of Fairy Tail, so the attack had made its way to his ears.

He wordlessly approached the master's office and let himself in. Makarov already knowing beforehand, who was here.

"This is a surprise. What can I do you for?" He asked, making little effort to hide the sadness mixed with rage that burned in his eyes.

"Is it true what I heard? Did Natsu really attack Fairy Tail?" Jellal asked, wishing to dispel the worrisome feeling in his gut.

Makarov sighed and slid a little bit into his chair, he couldn't really care less if he appeared small or weak, he was too worried about Natsu's health. "No it isn't, Natsu was being impersonated by some puppet. He was just as strong and we couldn't stop him until the real Natsu showed up."

Jellal simply removed his mask and sat down, wordlessly telling Makarov to continue.

"But that wasn't enough. We believed that the fake Natsu was just a manipulated puppet, Natsu mentioned him being similar to you, and he felt bad and offered him help. Excuse me for a moment, I can't let myself slip in front of the children." He said, stopping to get his shaky breathing under control. A sign that he was on the verge of crying.

Jellal was worried, if what he _thought_ had happened was true, he hoped beyond hope that it wasn't true.

"The fake Natsu really was just a puppet. No real memories or emotions. He just snapped, dragged Natsu into an unwinnable fight and he…" He stopped, unable to bring himself to continue for the moment. The dreadful future in his head coming more realistic as time passed.

"He…died?" Jellal asked tentatively, there was no way that man could die. Right?

Makarov shook his head slowly. "He might soon. There's some sort of poison in his system that's made specifically for dragon slayers. It's wreaking havoc on his body, we don't think he's going to make it."

"Specialized poison? I thought dragon slayers were really resistant to poison." He began rubbing his chin and closed his eyes in thought. With the right magic you can catch the best of wizards off guard and kill them. If someone was specifically targeting Fairy Tail, they were doomed to put it simply, then they were most likely a dark wizard or some dark guild. He racked his brain for anyone in particular that uses poison.

"It's either unreasonably strong, or it works against him specifically." He had regained control of his emotions and was about to start asking Jellal if he knew anything about anyone that could be responsible, but the blue haired man beat him to it.

"I have a few ideas in mind, puppet and poison magic. Right?" He asked.

Makarov nodded, telling him to continue with a simple gesture.

"I've heard of a few wizards, no names though, that can use a puppet like magic like that. But to use it, one needs to have a greater magical ability than the mage you wish to copy. I haven't heard anything about poison strong enough to put dragon slayer down though." He felt useless, puppet users were next to extinct and he never bothered to learn about any of them.

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart Jellal. You've given us a place to start."

* * *

Infirmary

* * *

"When will he recover?"

She'd just stopped acknowledging that question by this point. The accurate response of 'I don't know' not being nearly enough for the scarlet haired wizard. The only reason she was still in the room, despite her insistence that she leave in case the poison could spread, is because Porlyusica had tested the poison to see if it was toxic to non-dragon slayers. Thankfully it wasn't, so she stopped pestering her and Erza could stay.

"Just keep giving him this. I'm going to take a break and see if I have anything at home." Porlyusica said. In truth, she had run out of ideas long ago, this poison was different, it almost seemed as if it was alive. It actively avoided her treatment and kept avoiding it until that treatment was out of his system. If anything, it did keep it from attacking his organs while it was avoiding it. Hopefully on her way back to her home she could get an idea.

"Understood. How long until he recovers with this medication?" She had asked the question repeatedly over the last week and had not received an answer. Which urked her significantly. But once the woman left the room and she was left alone with a dying Natsu, she desperately wished she was no longer alone.

"Natsu…" She couldn't do anything to help him recover, she could only sit there, give him medicine, and watch him slip away from her bit by painful bit. She grasped his hand tighter as she gave him his medicine, watching his body shake slightly in response to the poison in his systems moving about in response to the new substance.

"Please…don't leave me…" He had made her promise to never sacrifice her life to protect her friends all that time ago back at the tower. To think she had thought Natsu was invincible at that moment. Oh how wrong she was right now.

A sudden knock at the door told her someone wished to enter.

"Come in." She said robotically, she didn't really care who came in at this point. Nothing else really mattered.

"I was pretty sure you'd be in here." A familiar voice said. Despite its familiarity and closeness to her heart, Erza still didn't bother to raise her head in acknowledgement to his comment.

He shut the door behind him and simply sat next to her while he observed the man who had once beaten the absolute shit out of him while he was possessed by Ultear. The reason for his immense strength sat next to his bed holding his hand and nuzzling his cheek.

"He'd do it again you know."

"I know that. He was always so worried that I'd be the one to sacrifice my life to protect the guild. Now look at him, I guess it's my fault for always seeing him as invincible." She never released her hands from their gentle caresses, but she did acknowledge Jellal was there with a simple look.

The blue haired man frowned in response. She couldn't blame herself for seeing Natsu in that kind of light. The man simply grabbed every challenge in front of him and threw himself at it until it gave up. That kind of dedication and stubbornness honestly seemed superhuman, and Natsu had it in spades he couldn't even understand. But regardless, he had to make her stop thinking this was somehow her fault. They were alike in a lot of ways, Natsu had thought the same way.

"This isn't your fault. And he'd be upset if you thought like that." He said, watching the weak rise and fall of Natsu's chest.

"I know. But I don't care, I actively prevented Wendy from jumping in to help him and look what happened. How is this not my fault?" She said. Nothing in her mind was going to be able to sway that absolute fact. She was the reason Natsu laid here, dying.

"You didn't know which one was which. You made a calculated decision, he understands that. So why do you keep acting like it's _still_ your fault?" He reasoned, wondering silently to himself why she continued to berate herself.

"Because of…something we did." She said, avoiding his eyes by hiding behind her hair that shielded her from prying eyes.

"Something? Erza, that can mean anything." If she had a reason then what could it be?

"It's nothing bad!" She quickly defended her statement, snapping her head up to glare into his eyes at the mere _implication_ that what had happened to her was a bad thing.

He jumped slightly at the sudden movement. "I didn't mean it was anything bad. I just meant that it could be anything." He said with a bit of haste, feeling as if he needed to get those words out a little faster than normal out of fear for his safety.

She paused and looked contemplative for a moment after her outburst. Wondering whether or not she should tell him. He was one of her childhood friends, if she couldn't trust him with it then she supposed she couldn't trust anyone with it.

"I'm not sure if it's one hundred percent or anything…but I'm five days late." Despite trying her best, she wasn't able to keep the tiny smile off her face or its accompanying blush. She couldn't bring herself to say the actual word because she couldn't help but turn into a giggling smiling mess whenever she said it.

But Jellal was a man who lived in an isolated slave tower for most of his childhood, then spent his adulthood controlled by a ghost of his companion building it. There was really no time or actual want to learn of this sort of thing in all that time, even in the gap of seven years it had simply never occurred to him to know. So he had absolutely no idea what 'five days late' meant.

"And what does that mean?" He'd just be blunt; it worked really well for Natsu most of the time so why not him?

"Jellal, I kind of think I'm pregnant." She didn't notice in the heat of the moment, but Natsu's hand had twitched in response. There was no actual response on his part, but his subconscious mind was more than capable of understanding what that could mean.

Jellal's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Already?" He said, barely able to keep his voice down out of surprise and courtesy to the woman who may not want the guild to know yet. But now that he thought about it, they almost went at it right there when they'd confessed to each other. So he wasn't as surprised as he honestly should be.

"Shush. Keep it to yourself, there are mind readers in this guild." She said, looking back to Natsu and removing her hand from his face to happily place a hand on her stomach. A small smile on her face from the action.

A big grin made its way onto his face. Natsu moved faster than in a couple of days than he'd done in a couple of years. "I can't say I could be happier. Congratulations." Though she was still depressed, she was clearly in a better mood. He could only hope he'd gotten through to her.

"Now I can't imagine him ever dying." Jellal began. "He'd crawl out of the afterlife to get back here and have that family with you."

But at that moment, despite Jellal's confidence, Natsu stopped breathing.

* * *

Unknown Location

* * *

The pleasant smell of grass wafted into his sensitive nose. Many other smells accompanied it, such as the trees, flowers, the sky, animals, and it all culminated into the wonderful scent of nature that he had called home for so many years. While it was pleasant, he didn't remember being outside. In fact, he didn't remember all that much, which begged the question…

"Where the fuck am I?" Natsu exclaimed, opening his eyes and stretching his, surprisingly sore body.

"Right on cue. You're dead buddy." A voice from behind him said.

Natsu whirled around to face the person behind him. But he didn't expect a talking humanoid lizard half his height to be the owner of the voice from before.

Looking down, he took in the features of the lizard. It was scrawny, wore a simple black suit with a white undershirt and a black tie. He was also wearing official looking sunglasses that framed his face and kept his eyes hidden. He would fill the role of a businessman perfectly if it weren't for two things, his lack of shoes and the white wings on his back that dwarfed Happy's wings. Only one question came to his mind.

"What the fuck are you?" Natsu asked, a confused look on his face.

"Vulgar one aren't you?" It began, lowering its sunglasses to glare up at the man in front of him before pulling a file out of nowhere.

"Before you ask again, which according to this file is all that you would do until I tell you, I'm your caretaker to pass into the next life." It answered, flipping through the handful of pages in the file. It turned to walk away and Natsu was compelled to follow, mainly because this thing seemed to know where to go.

"How am I dead?" He asked the most burning question on his mind. He had plenty, but this was the most important of the bunch.

"Let's see here…" It drawled bored, flipping to a blank page where many words appeared on it. "You were killed, I believe, by the poison in your system after a brutal fight which then led to being impaled. In short, you got pretty badly messed up."

"What?!" How did that happen, he won that fight didn't he? He needed more. He placed a hand on the thing's shoulder to make it stop and turn to face him. "Tell me more."

"All right. If you wish to know more then ask. You were a pretty good guy in life, so I'll make an exception."

"Who the hell killed me?" He'd tear the guy in three hundred pieces, burn those pieces, then burn them again.

"Let's see, a puppet manipulator, as well as a soul manipulator; oh that explains that one guy, by the name of Dreadus Mor. He's known as 'Dreadmor' in Earthland. He's the guild master of Hand of the Soul. Satisfied?" He only had a decent amount of information on still living mortals, thankful it wasn't his job to research past deeds and happily left it to those whose job it actually was.

His mouth slowly dropped open in disbelief. No, he couldn't be dead. "What about Fairy Tail? Prove I'm dead!"

A small smile appeared on his face at the expected question. He raised his hands and snapped his fingers before turning back to his file and reading up a little on his life. It revealed a dead Natsu in the infirmary with all of his guildmates crying. His heart tore itself to pieces at the sight of Erza openly and completely sobbing into his body.

He subconsciously moved his arms to hold her as if she was there on his chest. In some desperate need to make sure she was all right. But when his arms grasped nothing but empty air, he could only reach out to the visual of his lover. This action brought a frown to the lizard's eyes when he noticed the pure agony he could see on the man's face. But it was quickly ignored, he had to do this several hundred times a day after all.

"Turn it off." He said darkly, his bangs obscuring his face, but unable to block the tears from flowing down his face and then falling off to hit the ground.

The image stopped but Natsu refused to forgive himself for bringing all of his friends that kind of pain.

"I'm horrible…" He mumbled to himself.

"Come again?" That was a particularly unheard of reaction.

"I'm the worst kind of trash. Look at all the pain I brought them." He said, motioning to the video that was no longer playing.

"That wasn't your fault. You were killed." This one may be a bit more interesting than the average soul that passed.

"But it's still my fault for being too weak." The air was tense around the two. There wasn't a point in counseling a troubled soul, it wasn't his job, so he simply let the man sulk until he wished to continue walking. So he simply continued onto the rest of the file until a certain passage made him shake his head.

"That's always a sad one. Tough luck." He said, waiting for the question he knew would follow up.

"What is?"

"Your girlfriend was expecting. Sorry about your loss." He said, closing the file and fully facing the man.

"How do you know that?" He wasn't exactly sure what 'expecting' meant. He'd ask in a moment.

"Oh with this file, you can tell everything about someone's life. What could have been, what will be, and what is. Though it takes time to get those. According to one part of this, you could have been the single strongest mage to ever exist. You could also have been a true evil human being."

"I don't care about all that. But you said something about Erza earlier." He began, only to be interrupted by the lizard.

"Erza Scarlet, yes, she was expecting before you died." What exactly was he going to ask about that?

"What's 'expecting' mean?" He asked, a bit of embarrassment seeping through his depression.

He had such a surprised face that it was noticeable through his sunglasses. "It means she was pregnant. You were going to be a father. She was going to be a mother. Understand?" Reading the file, he was reminded that Natsu only had basic education at the hands of a dragon of all things.

"What…" Natsu's depression vanished in an instant. He was going to be a dad? He and Erza were going to have a little version of them running around?

"Then this is unacceptable." He said, deadly serious as he turned to face his caretaker.

"I believe I can assume what is unacceptable, so I'll simply say that it's impossible to return to the living." He wouldn't say it, but it would be especially impossible for this mortal to return to his body and survive with how much he had endured.

"I don't fucking care." Natsu's body suddenly became engulfed in fire, surprising the lizard immensely and incinerating the file he held in his hand.

"How can you use magic?!" He said, losing his demeanor for the first time. It was the only time he had felt terror in his long time in the afterlife. He could only dread what this mortal could have done in his realm this angry.

"Because I need to." He said simply, closing his eyes and training every fiber of his being onto the one thing he would never lose track of even after death. Erza.

The fires surrounding him suddenly became even more intense as he blasted off into a, seemingly, random direction. The force behind him sent out a massive shockwave and sent the lizard flying. When he rose from the ground, he was miraculously unharmed.

A magical rune suddenly appeared in front of him and he began frantically speaking into it.

"We have a soul on the loose!"

* * *

 **A/N: Boom. Natsu's dead. Yep he's dead. Can he escape the throngs of death? Don't know yet either. I'll flip a coin later like I did this chapter. It was on telling you guys if Erza was pregnant yet or not. I hope you enjoyed.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, this came out much quicker than I thought. You're all welcome that my school has a shit load of breaks and longer weekends. But anyway, I really am appreciative of all the love this story has gotten.**

 **But I'm not blind or stupid, I know the last few chapters have been sort of lackluster in quality, and for that I apologize immensely. I don't know why but for a bit I lost motivation and sort of had to force those last couple of chapters which probably shows.**

 **Anyway, the quality should definitely picked up. Because I could actually feel my emotions change in certain parts, so that means it's decent right?**

 **Love you all.**

* * *

He stopped running after what seemed like an eternity. The presence of Erza didn't seem to get any closer no matter where he ran or how long. So he stopped and ran in a direction he could smell…life. He couldn't really describe it as life since he was in the afterlife, it smelt different, more vibrant but less filling.

Out of a hunch he leaned against a tree to catch his breath, but in reality he subtly tore a chunk of bark off a tree. A repeating circle spell was something he fell in all the time, something his teammates never seemed to have trouble with, and continued running in the previous direction. Everything looked the damn same and he really was starting to get paranoid of being followed.

His paranoia seemingly saved him when he took a dive to the right suddenly as a blast of blinding light whizzed past where his head had previously been located. Looks like he pissed somebody off.

Cracking his neck in preparation for a fight Natsu moved from his hiding spot when he realized that his pursuer wasn't going to be moving anywhere anytime soon.

"Why exactly are you following me?" He wasn't in the mood for games and he didn't even know why he was being pursued.

A brown haired man of average complexion just shrugged his shoulders from his position in the air. "Orders. You're also trying to violate the natural laws of the world, that kind of thing isn't generally liked."

"Too bad! The woman I love is going to be a mom! So I want to be the dad!"Natsu blew his tongue at the man before turning and running in the opposite direction. Not really in the mood to fight angels, which he assumed the man was, and was more interested in finding the man in charge.

In his haste, he didn't really understand he was actually looking for god.

The angel pursuer sighed and flapped his large wings to give chase, at least he wished to defy the laws of the world with good intentions. He disappeared and reappeared in front of Natsu. In his shock, Natsu found a sudden blast; of what he perceived to be magic, blowing up right in his face.

The angel sighed before he realized that his explosion was being _eaten_. He raised an eyebrow in minor interest. "I thought you could only eat fire?" Information traveled instantaneously in this realm, and as a precaution all other pursuers were heading to their location and with the knowledge explosions and fire don't work.

Natsu smirked in victory. "Anything that burns pretty much." He then punched the angel in the face. Or, rather, he would have if he hadn't caught it effortlessly.

"You _do_ remember where you are and what stands in front of you right?" The angel asked disinterested before twisting his wrist until Natsu was forced to take a knee in surprise.

"Oh wow you're really strong." He said through gritted teeth before he smiled through the pain. "Then I'll actually have to get serious."

Put another checkmark in the 'How did you do that?' tab of Natsu's life where he did what seemed impossible to him only days ago.

He overpowered an angel.

The angel in question was shocked. How did a mere mortal have the strength to overpower someone like him? He wasn't given much more time to think on the matter before Natsu delivered a thunderous right hook to the angel's jaw that sent him hurtling away from the dragon slayer.

"Bye!" He said, running from the dazed angel who could only watch him go with a shocked expression that truly didn't belong on such a usually bored face.

After Natsu was out of sight the angel slowly rose to his feet. "What kind of mortal is he?" He mused to himself, wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth.

"Very well. If I can't handle you, then _he_ will." The angel said, a small smirk on his usually bored face.

* * *

Later

* * *

Who told him he couldn't blend in? He was pretty sure it was Gray during one of their insult contests. So, if it was him, then he was totally wrong, if not then they were totally right. It wasn't really possible for him to blend in anyway.

Because everyone in town had fucking wings.

He'd managed to find the town by going with his gut and running _away_ from where he'd felt Erza's presence resonating from. And by some afterlife trickery that he'd never understand if it was explained to him thoroughly, he was on his way to getting out of this place and getting back to her.

He could smell the tense atmosphere as everyone noticed him but it didn't seem they really cared. He wondered if he wasn't supposed to be here. Oh well, the more rules he broke on his way out the better he reasoned.

He took off running again but several angels led by the first one he'd met a bit ago blocked his path. He swore under his breath and waited for them to make the first move. But apparently they weren't interested in fighting him, at least not yet.

"Tell me how exactly you think you can return to your world?" The angel from before asked, his boredom unsuccessfully hiding the anxiety that Natsu could smell.

"Don't know. But I'm going to go back no matter who gets in my way!" He said, fire slowly coating his arms and legs.

"Do you honestly think you deserve it?" The angel asked again. Did he really think he was the only one with his situation? Typical human behavior, you were stronger than everybody in front of you so you just simply took what you wanted by force.

"I don't care! How much are you people going to ask me that? If I don't get back, Erza will cry more! And I swore she'd never cry again! So I have to get back there, now, get out of my way!" Natsu said with a conviction that made those around him stare at him with a perplexed look on their faces.

 _'So he wishes to return for the sake of another? A point in the right category, but it would be worse for him if he were to leave in the first place. I suppose I'll tell him before he goes and attacks us.'_ The angel debated in his head, he'd wondered if this was technically classified information, so he snapped his fingers and all but the forces behind him and Natsu stood frozen in time. A black and white filter over everything, something Natsu noticed but was too focused to care about at the moment.

"Natsu Dragneel, do you know what happens when a soul with no physical body returns to the world of the living?" He asked the man with a look of disinterest. This really wasn't much better than his regular 'nine to five' job as the human would call it.

"No, why should I care though? That lizard told me it was impossible, but I'm getting closer I can tell! So just save yourself and me some time and tell me how to get back already!" He would have just blown past him at this point, but he really had no idea where to go. Erza's presence was strong, but it was all over the city in no exact place.

"That's not true, it's completely possible for you to come back. Honestly, how do you think your soul got here in the first place? But you do seem to know where to go, so I must commend you for that much." The angel elaborated, dancing around the topic to keep the mortal guessing as well as for his own entertainment.

"Stop playing with me! Just tell me where the hell to go!" Natsu wasn't getting tired of this, anymore backhanded remarks and he was going to start whooping angel ass.

"Back on topic, if you go back then you'd be nothing more than a mere phantom. You could only watch and be unable to interact with the world completely. You'd also never be able to meet your friends and family here again in about eighty to one hundred years. You'd eventually be stuck down there with no one who would remember you, eventually you would just be an emotionless observer on an ever-changing world. Do you truly want that?" The angel gave him his ultimatum. This mortal was determined to go to any lengths for those he cared about, but how far would he go for himself?

"That's not true. Even if it was, I'd just make it right somehow!" Natsu said, ignoring the doubt in his mind.

"That is impossible. No one, and I repeat, no one can make you return to your body." The angel said, snapping his fingers again and allowing the world around them to return to normal.

"Where's the guy in charge?" He said, his eyes losing all emotion that didn't involve finding Erza.

The angel and his compatriots' eyes widened. "You can't possible think to go against _him_ can you?" If he were to raise a hand against _that man_ of all things, he felt a shudder go down his spine at the implications.

"Then I'll _make_ you tell me." Natsu said, cracking his knuckles as his expression darkened. Finally drawing the attention and fear of everyone around him.

"You don't have to do that. He's in there." The angel said, pointing off into the distance where a building stood over the town slightly. Fairly tame for the ruler of the afterlife, but he didn't care or realize that's who he was going after.

"Appreciated." He made a move to run off again but the angels moved to block him.

"We cannot let you even consider laying a hand on Kami." The angel said, his face losing its boredom and replacing it with a look that was simply protective.

"Too late." The Natsu they were all talking to suddenly turned into a fire roughly shaped like a human and disappeared.

"Find that mortal now!"

* * *

With Natsu

* * *

He'd have to thank Gray, as much as he didn't want to, for that little duplication trick he'd worked so hard on.

"Totally stole it from that stripper." He said to himself, laughing lightly at the image of an angry Gray when he learned Natsu stole his technique.

He eventually found himself at the building with no guard posted around, he could hear the angels from before looking all over the town for him and smirked before he kicked in the door.

"Are you the guy in charge here?" He demanded, looking around the establishment to find nothing more than the essentials to a home. A kitchen to the right, a small bed on his left, and most likely a bathroom upstairs. Where were the servants? The castles? Everything that said' I'm in charge bitch?'

"There you are. It said you'd be here later, I guess my angels are weaker than I thought or you're just that much stronger." A man said, mulling over several papers with nothing more than a candle. It was too dark to describe the man in detail. He paid no heed to the dragon slayer who had just barged into his home. He didn't need to, he was simply _that_ far above the dragon slayer's level.

"I'm guessing you are. Now send me back to my body! Send me back to Erza!" Natsu demanded of the man.

"Don't yell when you address me or I'll take away your mouth. As for your request-" Natsu cut the man off by suddenly appearing in front of the man's desk and setting all of his work on fire before tossing his desk out of the building.

"I actually have to thank you for that. It gives me a legitimate reason not to do it. Susan always gets so mad when I don't do it." The man said, a genuine appreciative smile on his face.

Natsu suddenly sighed in relief. "I figured you'd hate paperwork, gramps always had me set most of his work on fire, and I was hoping to get right to it you know?"

The man laughed, this mortal was fun much more fun that his pencil pushing assistants. "I know, none of my assistants will burn my paperwork for even a slap on the wrist. But I guess t has to be done by someone somewhere."

They both laughed slightly before their faces turned dead serious. "Send me back."

"Why should I?"

"Because you can and you will."

"Will I?"

"Don't push my buttons buddy."

"Don't push mine."

"I will hurt you."

"Can you?"

At this Natsu became angry. "Stop asking questions!"

The man smirked. "Why?"

Natsu snapped and punched the man square in the face, fully aware it did nothing. "I'm done playing old man! I don't care anymore, send me back to Erza right now!" Even though the man looked not a day over thirty, Natsu was smart enough to know that everyone involved in the afterlife was older than dirt.

The man's face was completely blocked by the fist that was driven into it. "Who said I would ever do that?" Then the man simply tapped Natsu's chest, causing the man to suddenly lurch and grab at his throat and chest.

"You just punched me square in the face. You are singlehandedly the _dumbest_ man I've ever met. I've taken away your lungs as punishment." The man said, standing to address the man on the floor who was writhing in agony trying to get some bit of oxygen into his body.

"You're going to sit there and suffocate until I say you won't. You can't die without my say so here."

Natsu was physically incapable of responding and could only slowly crawl onto his knees, refusing to show any more sign of weakness that would usually occur with suffocation. He couldn't breathe, so what? He wasn't feeling lightheaded because of it, but he had lost all feeling in his body. So all he could do was stare as hard as he could at the man who had somehow taken away his lungs.

"Natsu Dragneel, you died. You cannot go back to Earthland because of such a selfish demand to be with those you love." He answered to the livid dragon slayer.

Natsu's head bobbed back and forth as the muscles in his body slowly lost the oxygen that fueled them, but he was able to point to his throat and indicate he wanted to speak.

The man rose an eyebrow in surprise. He could still move? Impressive, somewhat. "Sure you can speak now."

"You shitfaced mother fu-" Natsu began, hurling insults at the man, too angry to care. But he did manage to get a wonderfully pleasant breath of oxygen.

"I regret that decision immediately." He said, placing his hands behind his back and walking around him to shut the door. Feeling a draft from the door the dragon slayer had kicked open.

"But in all honesty, you do understand why it's so selfish of you right?" The man asked, all traces of anger and resentment from him gone. Only replaced with a calm and caring tone that finally pulled Natsu out of his angered stupor ever since he'd learned Erza had become pregnant. This man was the one in charge of everything here, if he said no and he couldn't beat him into submission then he was hopeless.

All he did was look at the floor, even after his lungs had been returned to him. The man left the room briefly, returning with a cup of tea and two chairs for them to sit on. The man lit a candle nearby after his desk had simply returned back to its position because he willed it so. They were now sitting across from one another, one behind the desk making all the decisions with all the power and the other simply a desperate soul.

"Please. It's for her. I'd do anything to make her stop crying. Please." Natsu begged, he'd run out of options pretty much from the get go. He just had to hope there was something, _anything_ , that would let him go back without needing someone's authority.

"Now tell me, why would I give you special treatment Natsu Dragneel?" The man asked, Natsu now close enough to discern the man's features. He had shining black hair that almost vibrated with energy, and his face was framed almost perfectly symmetrical. The rest of his face was simply average, blue eyes, no facial hair, and a somewhat small build.

Didn't exactly scream 'strongest in the universe'.

"I don't care anymore, just as long as she's happy. Please make her stop crying." Natsu continued to beg. Bringing his hands together to pray.

"Please Kami, if you can hear me-"

"I can."

"Then please help me!"

He'd begun crying, but it didn't devolve into hopeless uncontrollable sobbing. He simply continued crying onto the strongest being in the universe's desk in a hopeless attempt to sway him.

"…You're not the first person to beg me to return them to life. You know that right?" The man said, linking his hands together and continuing to simply observe the man in front of him.

"What else can I say? You're the only person who can help! I beg of you!" He continued, if he wouldn't revive him now, then he would simply continue pestering him until he caved. Natsu was more persistent than anybody.

The man simply didn't respond. He kept silent for a while, and Natsu took his silence as a sign he was beginning to think about his request.

"On one condition." He said suddenly, this man was persistent. He was different from the others who had begged him. First he had demanded him to revive him, that was a little refreshing, and then punched him square in the face. It was so ballsy that he held the man in high regard from now on. He'd resorted to begging eventually, like he should. But there was always one fatal flaw of humans, something he knew would make the man in front of him turn around and never come back.

Natsu bolted up so fast that the man blinked. "I'll do anything! I don't care what it is!"

The man sighed, conjuring up a contract and placing a pen next to it. "If you sign this, it will return you to a few minutes before you died, where that man stabbed you not the poison resulted death, but you will be at full strength. Since you died after a brutal fight. But there is a catch as I said before."

Natsu looked down at him expectantly, already holding the pen in his hand.

"You must be willing to forfeit Erza Scarlet's love for you." Right here, he would hand him back the pen, walk out, and never be heard from again and would simply wait for his family to join him in the afterlife.

But instead of all that, all he felt was an immensely powerful surge from Natsu's soul at the thought of giving up Erza's love. He could feel how absolutely ridiculous it seemed through him. He was a dragon after all, so he had a dragon's traits and quirks.

"Will she still have our child?" Natsu asked, the hand holding the pen shaking slightly as he held his body from collapsing by bracing himself on the desk.

The man was taken aback. This was the first time someone had actually _wanted_ to go through with the deal. This man didn't have a single selfish bone in his body. "Yes. Yes she will, but you will not be involved in his life or hers afterwards. But you will still be friends."

Natsu surprised him again. Tears began flowing down his face unabated "So it's going to be a boy? How awesome, I could've taught him dragon slaying magic." He mused to himself, imagining how their life would have played out. He physically felt his body react horribly knowing how happy he would have been at the wedding if Erza would have asked Gray to be one of the flower girls. It would have been perfect, his life was going to be perfect.

"She'll love him right? She wouldn't give him up right? Even without me there?" He just wanted to have clarification on everything. He could go through with this, as long as Erza wouldn't cry over him anymore. Then he wouldn't care as long as she was happy.

The man smiled sadly. "Yes she will. But you fully understand what this would mean right?"

Natsu waited for the final question, pen hovering above the line.

"It means, being part dragon, you'd never love again. Would you be willing to give up love for the rest of your life?" The man knew full well what he was going to say, if the contract wasn't divine in nature; it would be unable to be read from all the painful heartbroken tears smothering it.

Natsu shook his head and signed the paper. Handing them to the man who sighed and snapped his fingers before all of his body began glowing and his mind turned blank and he disappeared from sight.

"Don't you disappoint me Natsu Dragneel, I just did you a huge favor."

* * *

One Week Prior

* * *

Natsu slowly rose from his defeated clone before he paused as all the memories of his time in the afterlife returned to him. He grinned slowly as he clenched his fists as tight as he could to prove to himself that he was indeed back. His relieved expression vanished when he suddenly turned around and grabbed the mysterious figures hand in his.

"How did you stop that!? You should be almost dead!" The figure exclaimed worriedly as his hand began twisting painfully in a direction it wasn't supposed to go.

Natsu's expression darkened far more than it had ever before, chilling the figure to the bone. He was that angry at an attempt on his life?

"You've done worse to me than you could ever hope to. You took my life, you took the woman I love, you took my son, you took everything I loved in this world more than myself. For that you will pay." Natsu said, continually crushing the man's wrist until it exploded into flames while he continued crushing it.

But suddenly, the man glared at him before cutting off his left hand and jumping backwards away from the terrifying dragon slayer.

"I'll get you another day."

Natsu grinned darkly at the retreating mage. "Goodbye Dreadus Mor. Guild master of Hand of the Soul."

He relished in the surprised look on the man's face before he vanished in a swirl of something that made his stomach crawl.

But now he had to face the facts, Erza wasn't his anymore, hell; the child probably wasn't even his anymore, so he collapsed to his knees and began openly sobbing and smashed his fist into the ground again and again.

"Natsu!" He heard several voices yell his name, but worst of all he heard _her's_. The sound made his heart wrench disgustingly in his chest, he'd never hear that beautiful voice say it loved him anymore. He wouldn't hear it mumble his name in the throes of passion anymore. He wouldn't even hear it in her sleep anymore.

Of course she was the first one to reach him and begin fretting over him and his injuries. He just did his best to ignore how much he wanted hold her, touch her, kiss her, tell her that he was back and that she wouldn't cry anymore over him. But he couldn't.

Because Erza didn't love him anymore.

"I'm fine, I just let him get away is all. The actual guy behind this got away after he tried to kill me from some sort of sneak attack." Natsu said, wiping the tears from his eyes to avoid looking weak.

Of course Erza was still fretting over him. Did she have any idea how much this hurt him? But then the unthinkable happened.

She grabbed his head with both her hands and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Don't scare us like that again Natsu. Don't scare me like that." Erza said, holding him closely when she saw his condition, how did he fight off the person responsible in his state?

Natsu meanwhile was so horribly confused. Until something clicked in his mind.

"All I had to do was be willing…" He mumbled, pulling Erza as closely as his body would allow. He could still have his family, his love, and his future.

Meanwhile, a certain man smiled at his desk.

* * *

 **A/N: Didn't see that coming did you? Bet I had you convinced Kami was an asshole who stole the one true OTP of Fairy Tail from us didn't you? Just to be clear, the contract only said to be _willing_ to surrender Erza's love. He didn't actually have to do it. Most of that conversation was only to test Natsu's resolve.**

 **Ah, like I said above, I appreciate everything so far and I hope the love continues.**

 **Goodnight all.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Man this was so much fun, this story was just a complete fuckton of fun. I want to continue writing Fairy Tail stuff, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do other than continue the other one I'm working on right now. (Pss, it'called A Different Path! Go read it fucknuggets!)**

 **But this chapter isn't the last, because next chapter, like Natsu is Awesome predicted and wished, next chapter SHOULD BE THE EPILOGUE!**

 **But we all know how bad I am with saying what chapters are going to be the end. So who knows? But if you guys want it to continue, I can easily keep this story going and keep it interesting. Maybe throw in more tearjerkers! But if people want more I can make more. Just come and answer the poll on my profile. I'll keep it up until the 19th of November so go and vote.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Natsu was awoken by the rays of the sun shining through the window onto his face. He regretted dragging Erza back to Fairy Hills for this reason only, his house didn't have any windows in the bedroom that would wake him up. But he didn't care all that much when he looked down the side and saw Erza peacefully sleeping yesterday's events off.

He smiled as he tenderly stroked the sweat soaked hair off her forehead before he kissed the now vacant forehead. He remembered last night all too well, and by the way she acted, she did as well. His smile faltered somewhat as the memories resurfaced of his time in the afterlife, he had dragged her back here with the intention of explaining what happened but as soon as he was done, Erza threw herself at him and they hadn't stopped until sometime later. He wasn't really sure when they stopped nor did he care. He needed this time with her more than he needed to breathe after what he'd experienced.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Erza tiredly yawned and cracked her eyes open to give him the most heartwarming look he'd ever seen. Just knowing he almost lost this nearly tore him apart, he didn't think he'd ever stop appreciating her every step.

"Good morning." She said through her yawn, her voice hoarse and dry after their passionate afternoon that went all the way until late into the night.

Natsu didn't respond, he simply pulled her even closer and gave her the best 'good morning' she could ever want. When he pulled back from the kiss, his eyes were glossed over with unshed tears of joy. How could he ever be away from her ever again? Just simply being here gave him such a feeling of completeness and happiness that it physically hurt to be away from her.

She sat up slowly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, unintentionally hugging the blanket closer to show off her curvaceous figure. Something his eyes were immediately drawn to. "I need some water. And a shower."

Natsu smiled wildly as he scooped her up into his arms, eliciting a girlish giggle at his actions. A beautiful sound that only he would hear. "You can drink the water from the shower." He said with a grin as he slammed the door shut before locking it.

* * *

At The Guild

* * *

"Ugh, finally she's alone!" Mirajane said exasperated, she had been dying to hear the details from Erza once Cana had pointed out the hidden limp in Erza's step when her and Natsu entered the guild.

"You're right, I've wanted to know why she's limping for a while now." Cana said, nursing a mug of beer, for once, instead of a barrel of it.

"Time to swoop in for the kill." The white haired barmaid said, the two of them sitting as if to trap the redhead and her blonde celestial wizard teammate from escaping. But Lucy was in on it as much as the other two were, she was a girl after all.

"What do you three want? Natsu will be upset if he can't have his spot back." Erza said, curious as to why her friends suddenly pounced on her booth the second Natsu left…oh no.

"You know what we want. Now tell us everything and don't you dare skimp on the juicy sex details." Mirajane demanded, pulling a notepad out specifically for this purpose.

Erza's face turned as red as her hair. Damn her Natsu! She was positive she had hidden her limp completely. Damn him for his despicable, evil, unbelievable, perfect skill in the bedroom.

"We lost her. Oi! Wake up before I make you get drunk and tell everyone here every single detail while he fucked your brains out." Cana said, snapping her fingers in front of the daydreaming Erza's face.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about." Erza attempted to deny, gulping down the fear, and cake, to the best of her ability.

When the three females continued to glare at her with no intention of backing down, Erza sighed in acceptance of her fate.

"What do you harpies want to know? We simply had sex last night, nothing more." She said, looking at the plate where her cake sat and only managed a few roaming pokes at her favorite food.

"Oh goody! First question, how big is he?" Mirajane asked, hitting hard with the most burning question on her mind right out of the gate. He was either a stallion or a beast in the sack to make her of all people limp. Or both.

She gaped at the question before she buried her head in her arms to hide her face. "What counts as big?" She hadn't ever seen another man at attention before and didn't have much of a reference.

The women looked back at each other before Lucy tentatively threw out an answer. "Like seven inches?"

Erza poked her eyes over her arms and looked around to alleviate her fears that someone were listening in on the conversation. She groaned before gesturing with her hand to go higher. She knew how big he was, but didn't know if it was average or not.

Mirajane grinned ear to ear. "Eight?" She began to write but Erza continued to gesture with her hand.

"Nine?" The drunken woman said slowly, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes. Now quit bothering me." She asked, attempting to make them leave by indulging them with only a bit of information.

But instead, the three collectively let out a girlish squeal. "You lucky girl you! How long did that anaconda last yesterday?" Cana inquired, particularly too drunk to care how personal these questions got as long as it was entertaining. And boy was it.

"I don't know! We started mid-afternoon and went to bed at sometime in the night!" Erza whispered out harshly. She'd given up on getting the women to leave and was simply trying to make this as least embarrassing as possible.

"How is he still alive?" Lucy asked. She knew Natsu was a stamina freak, but even sex didn't wear him out? Of course, she had no real experience with the actual act; but she had read many a story that suggested otherwise.

"That's right! That's anywhere from…uh…six to twelve hours! How could he last that long?!" Cana asked again, even more shocked. It took her a moment to figure out the span of time because of her decent buzz.

"I don't know! Stop asking me these things!" Erza cried out, burying her head in her arms again to desperately hide her embarrassment. It failed miserably.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, surprisingly completely guilt free at embarrassing Erza half to death. Payback really was nice. But Erza had said something that had become muffled through her hands and she was curious.

"I said I lost track of time after the third orgasm." She mumbled, burying her head back in her embarrassment cove.

Mirajane had been seething in jealousy silently, she had her chance with Natsu and passed him off to Lisanna, something she didn't regret but wished turned out different, and was having to listen as her friend gave them explicit details of how her one time crush performed in the bedroom. But it was _so_ worth it to see Erza _this_ flustered. Besides, it wasn't as if she still had these feeling in the first place.

"Do you think if he got really drunk he'd be up for a three way?" Mirajane asked, deliberately making her tone as sultry as possible. She remembered how a drunken Natsu acted and it was absolutely hilarious to see how Erza used to react to his sudden flirtations. Of course, she responded in kind as well as some others, but Erza always kicked the shit out of him for trying. What would she do now?

"You vile woman! Of course he wouldn't!" Erza said, suddenly all embarrassment from the woman gone and only anger replaced it. Cana and Lucy hastily made the distance between the two feuding women as large as possible while still remaining seated.

"Oh, well then, what if you got really drunk?" Mirajane prompted, grinning as Erza became flustered again. But her anger came back when she imagined Natsu and Mira doing the deed, even if she had agreed on it.

"I will hurt you. I will hurt you so bad." Erza threatened, though it wasn't worded quite the best, it was one of Erza's threats and it terrified Lucy and Cana every time. How did Mirajane ever be her rival? Though, they really shouldn't be surprised that she was the one who had the gut to ask what they wouldn't mind asking either.

Mirajane smile. "Oh relax Erza, I wouldn't try and steal your man like that. I don't even like him like that. But if we were all black out drunk and you both asked for it; then maybe I'd agree if you got on your knees and begged." Though she admitted her physical attraction to Natsu, she was honest when she said that she wouldn't steal her man. It was simply just too much fun to enrage her old rival like this.

The woman seemed on the verge of brutal murder, but before she was able to go through with the act the topic of the discussion came back to the table with a large blush on his face.

"Hi girls." Natsu wasn't able to say much more because if he did, not only would he lose consciousness from the velocity and ferocity of his nosebleed, but he would lose the small hold on it and it would be set loose.

All three of the women intruding on the table turned to the embarrassed dragon slayer whom they had been discussing the sex life and prowess of.

Erza looked immensely relieved. "Hello Natsu, get these harlots away from this table!"

He swallowed his embarrassment down and faced the women. "Girls, I know you were having fun, especially you." Natsu began, pointing an accusing finger to Mirajane who simply looked away and whistled innocently. "But we have to get ready." His answer confused all of them, expecting more of a demand to leave.

Lucy broke first. "Get ready for what Natsu?"

His face merely hardened and he cracked his knuckles. "For war. Erza, contact Jellal. He'll be here in a few days and I want him here now."

* * *

Hand of The Soul Two Days Later

* * *

That man, Natsu Dragneel, was now a major problem. Hand of The Soul was not a combat guild, so in an open confrontation with the most powerful guild in Fiore they would be easily slaughtered. That was why his puppet was supposed to wipe everyone out man by man until they were but a husk of their former selves.

But even if he had another Natsu puppet what good would it do? It took months of magic and DNA synthesizing to even attempt such a thing, let alone a mage of his caliber. He would claim himself stronger before he lost the use of his arm, but what Dragneel had said before that bothered him.

 _" You've done worse to me than you could ever hope to. You took my life, you took the woman I love, you took my son, you took everything I loved in this world more than myself. For that you will pay."_

What on Earthland did he mean by that? He would most likely have taken those things after he was dead, but Natsu Dragneel had no son. And even if he somehow did, they would still be alive because he didn't even know about them. But that wasn't even the most confusing part.

The worst part was where he said he took his life. He spoke as if this had already happened, if not for that event it was documented fact. In fact, he acted like everything had already happened. And that was the key word, already.

 _'Did Natsu Dragneel see his own death at my hands? If so, how is he alive? It feels like my plan should have worked, Natsu should have been far too weak to handle anyone in that shape. But even with my intervention it felt like he wasn't even injured. Perhaps my plan…did work?'_

The whole matter was extremely confusing, but if his plan did succeed and Natsu somehow came back to life to stop his own death; how in the name of Kami did he do that?

A certain man snickered at his desk when he read the paper in front of him explaining Dreadmor's thought process.

He scowled as he flexed his biological replacement for his left arm. At least he didn't lose the functionality of his arm with this replacement. But he did unfortunately lose his ability to mold magic through it; so as a mage he was one handed.

He sighed, he had to find a way to make several hundred members at least half Natsu's strength in the week it would take to find him. Fairy Tail was already good at finding information, but with his name, his guild's name, and even his alias Fairy Tail would have no trouble finding him and destroying him.

So with a sigh he stood form his seat and snapped his right hand's fingers, bringing a mysterious book into the air as he went back and read the pages that held his actions over the past week.

 _'This book is supposed to be able to predict the future, with my tests I proved it to be one hundred percent accurate. So why was it wrong in telling me that this turn of events would lead to Natsu Dragneel's death? This man is so frustrating, especially after he destroyed that damn tower. I wished to use that greatly.'_ He pushed the reason for his grudge against Fairy Tail to the back of his mind, needing to focus more on his objective more than his revenge.

The book simply repeated the same mantra, drain his power to this point. Have his clone pose dead. Increase his power to the maximum. Then show up if the clone loses to stealthily kill Dragneel right then and there. If this book continued to say that then he was one hundred percent right in believing that Natsu had somehow averted his own death after experiencing it.

Right there, in the future predicting book, it said these same words. Dreadmor scowled.

 _'Then how am I going to be able to kill the bastard then? Oh great and powerful future predicting book?'_ Dreadmor was losing more and more of his patience , the more time passed the less his life had to span.

As if responding to his thoughts the book read a new future.

 _'Find Tartaros. Obtain the tome of E.N.D. and open it. Natsu Dragneel will then awaken ancient memories and will slaughter everyone in one hundred miles before killing himself in a moment of grief driven weakness…what the hell is the tome of E.N.D? I recognize Tartaros, so it's safe to assume they have it. But defeating them is completely out of the question. But that doesn't tell me what that thing is.'_ As he already came to the conclusion that his guild would be wiped out by Fairy Tail, opposing Tartaros would lead to everyone's death and that would as pointless as it is idiotic.

He continued to read throughout the book but no other situation revealed itself that would lead to Natsu Dragneel's death, there were only a handful for some of the less prominent members of the guild. But not one of the famous mages would show their fate in the book. All of the ones he needed to be killed, so the others were of pretty much no importance.

 _'All right fine. Tell me about my fate then. What will happen to me?'_ He had figured out that the book scanned the mind of anyone holding it to change the books content to what they wished to see, but it was only something that worked half the time from his tests.

But the book seemed _eager_ to show Dreadmor his fate and it was not something he liked. _'Defeated by Dragneel, Fullbuster, Scarlet, Redfox, Makarov…dammit I can't beat a single one of them! Tell me how to make a Zeref puppet! One as strong or nearly as strong as the original!'_ He must have asked this of the book a hundred thousand times. If he had a puppet of Zeref, then he would be unstoppable. But the book never showed him nor did it ever seem to comprehend his suggestion.

But this time was different, oh was it different.

A large section of the book glowed a dark black and when he turned to it, there were unbelievable details into every single bit of the creation process. He couldn't help but smile maliciously as the book finally submitted to his whims and showed him how to create the most powerful wizard to ever exist from scratch.

 _'I can't believe it! Finally after so long! I can become a god! No, I can surpass the gods!'_ The man continued to laugh in his mind. As his lifelong dream was finally on the path to becoming true, after Dragneel was destroyed, then he could rebuild the tower and begin his true plan.

"Excuse me?" A man said at his desk continuing to read a file on Dreadmor with a frown on his face. "You better fucking not."

He almost openly began giggling in madness at the thought of it, he quickly made his way through the book as he scanned the material for important materials. Finding them to be relatively simple for something this powerful, it would only take him so long until he accomplished his mission.

But in his excitement, he missed the note at the end of the book. Well, his excitement and a sudden explosion rocking the entirety of the guild and knocking him out of his thoughts. He would have brushed it off, but he was paranoid so he ran down to the main hall and froze on the spot

"Hey Dreadmor! You ready for round two?" Natsu said from the wreckage that was once the main entrance. He was breathing fire through his fanged grin with every breath. The entirety of Fairy Tail stood proudly beside him and the sight caused Dreadmor to drop the book in terror. It flipped open to a specific page and proudly pointed out something.

It read, ' _in his haste, Dreadmor will overlook the end result of the creation of the Zeref puppet and forget to check it as he always did at the prospect of a possible future. Fairy Tail will also arrive to both defeat him and destroy this book and it's knowledge.'_

* * *

Omake

(I just couldn't help myself TheRangerBoy. I couldn't do this because it wasn't serious and I wanted to make you cry. So here it is.)

* * *

While Erza continued to sob into Natsu's chest, she failed to notice Jellal and the guild attempting to get her attention.

"Erza! Please stop crying I'm fine." Natsu said, rising from his bed before stretching his now fully restored limbs, courtesy of Kami.

Everyone gaped at him with their tears still drying and their mouths on the floor. But none harder than Erza who could only simply utter one word.

"How?"

Natsu stared at her dumbly before he jolted up, forgetting exactly how _fucking stupid_ his actions were. Or how _bullshit unfair_ it was that it got him returned to life.

"Oh that's easy, everyone in the afterlife turned out to be pussies. I kicked everyone's ass until they told me who to go to get brought back to life. So I saw Kami and destroyed his paperwork, something he was thankful for by the way, tossed his desk out the window, and threatened to kick his ass if he didn't revive me! Turns out you're not supposed to be able to use your magic after you die." Natsu explained casually, missing the shell-shocked look on everyone's face and Jellal furiously writing down notes on how to be, in his own words, as badass as Natsu.

Again, Erza was the only one able to speak, Jellal couldn't because he was busy writing notes, and was still only able to utter one word.

"How?"

"Well, after Kami kept screwing with me I told him if he asked me one more question I'd kick his ass. So, being Kami, he immediately asked another question and I punched him dead in the face." Natsu continued explaining, yawning as he went to the bar and got himself a beer before returning to the infirmary and drinking it there.

Erza shot up from her seat and grabbed him roughly by the shirt. "Are you stupid!" She yelled in his face, shaking him as vigorously and fast as she could. Natsu had become a human blur she was shaking him so fast. "You punched _KAMI_ of all things in the face?"

"Yeah!" Natsu defended as she stopped shaking him. "I saw you crying and I made him do it by signing a contract with Kami that would make us immortal and forever be able to live together in happiness. I also know you're pregnant."

Erza immediately stopped shaking him before putting on her normal face. "Oh, cool. Let's go fuck."

"Sweet."

The two left to god knows where-

"I do."

-and left the entire guild to stare at where Natsu and Erza were recently standing with the same terrified looks on their faces that hid all their relief and confusion.

But Jellal was weeping manly tears. If he could use the notes he had just recently written down, then maybe he'd be half as badass as Natsu.

* * *

 **A/N: Giggle, I loved writing that little omake there at the end. The thought had occurred to me to bring Natsu back there, TheRangerBoy, but it ended up working much better in the second draft. So I went with the other choice.**

 **Remember everyone, vote on the poll if you want the story to continue or not. And please, have a good day.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: We'll know this Wednesday if this'll be the final chapter or not. So I sort of left it open to more ideas (still have a few) that could focus on just about anything. This will be the end of the 'story' per say, but it won't be the end of the Natza. That's if if still continues after all.**

 **Sorry it's shorter than usual, but I felt it was the right length. Epilogues shouldn't be long epics, they should give closure.**

* * *

Loud snoring filled the guild hall, and it came from a somewhat unexpected source. Natsu.

Usually, the man would be filled with more life and energy than anyone around him, but for the last couple of weeks, he'd been snoring away inside the guildhall.

Gray's eye twitched in suppressed frustration. "I'm going to wake him up. I can't take it anymore."

"Oh let him sleep. He has to try and sleep through a pregnant Erza with mood swings every five minutes. Even he can't do that." Makarov stated drunkenly, nursing a beer mug with a blush on his face from his buzz.

"He did it to himself when he stuck it inside her. Sorry master." Gray said, approaching the sleeping fire mage and sporting a shit eating grin.

 **"Ice Make-"** Gray's spell was cut short by Mirajane swinging open the doors looking absolutely frantic.

"Where's Natsu?! It's time!" She shouted, looking all over the guild until she saw Gray moments from freezing them man solid.

The guild froze in place at what it meant, it was time.

See now, Gray has had a rivalry with Natsu for most of their childhood; physically and mentally. So he filled in the stupid questions role for Natsu, who was still sleeping.

"What's it time for?" Gray asked, scratching his head, confused.

Mirajane paid him no mind and slammed into his side, sending him flying into a pile of frozen stiff guild members.

She grabbed his shoulders and viciously shook Natsu until he groggily opened his eyes.

"Ugh. What is it Mira-"

She cut him off by yelling in his face. "It's time!"

"What's it time for?"

She continued shaking him viciously. "It's time! It's Erza's time!"

At this, Natsu's eyes opened as wide as saucer plates and he bolted from the guild so fast an afterimage of his terrified face was still there after he was gone.

It didn't take long for Natsu to reach Magnolia's hospital and it took him five minutes to remember the word 'maternity ward' so he could find out where Erza was.

"Room 702. Room 702. Here it is!" He barged into the room where Erza was screaming her head off so loudly it hurt his sensitive ears.

"Erza-"

"YOU DID THIS TO ME! AFTER I'M DONE WITH THIS I'M GOING TO TEAR YOUR DICK OFF AND RAM IT DOWN YOUR THROAT!" Erza was vehemently trying to reach him with her hands to make good on her threat before a nurse slowly pushed his terrified body out of the room and out of her line of sight.

"It's okay. Lots of them say that during the pain induced delirium." The nurse attempted to calm his nerves.

"No…no she would do that. Trust me she would do that…" He said, teeth chattering and knees quaking in horror as he enjoyed the last few hours he would have with his manhood.

"Just be there after it's done and you'll be fine I promise." The nurse then left him to his own devices.

With nothing to do, Natsu could only sit on the chair near the door and wait.

He sat there for hours until day became night. A few people came to visit him, but Erza's never ending promise of death and insults made them leave after some time. He felt a yawn escape his mouth and afterwards a cup of scalding hot coffee, just the way he liked it, was offered to him. He looked up at the owner of the hand that gave him his coffee and smiled.

"Thanks Mira. I'm pretty sure this hits the ten hour mark." Natsu said, taking a gulp of his liquid fire. "Kind of surprised you came alone."

Mira smiled at him, but continued to stand. "You're going to hear about that for a long time Natsu. I'm not alone though."

He was confused, no one was with her so how was she not alone?

"Gray came with me, but we could hear Erza verbally murdering you from outside and he refused to enter the hospital. He's out there." She said, pointing towards the street lamp where a certain ice wizard stood and waved.

Natsu opened the window to the hospital and poked his head out. "COWARD!"

"SCREW YOU!"

"Such a nice guy." Natsu said mockingly, closing the window in the middle of Gray's rant.

"You two do nothing but fight. It's adorable really." Mirajane commented with a small giggle.

"I hate him and you know it. I just need to make him angry since he is being a coward." Natsu commented, not liking being put in an affectionate light with the ice wizard whom he hated.

"Oh no you don't. You guys are just like brothers…what's that noise?" They both turned their head toward where a furious Gray stood at the other end of the hallway. In a flash he was right there in front of both of them and grabbed Natsu by his scarf.

"I'll show you who's a coward!" At this Gray sat right next to Natsu and refused to move despite how much Erza screamed about bloody murder.

"That's one way to get him into the place…" Mirajane said with an awkward giggle. "I'll leave you two to your own devices."

"Wait Mira! Don't leave me alone with him and that monster in there!" Gray begged, but it was too late. She was already gone and Natsu and him were alone.

The two sat in silence for a while until Gray decided to speak up.

"Congratulations I guess." He said, refusing to meet his frenemy's eyes.

"Shove it."

The two became silent again until Natsu sighed a pulled out a little black box and showed Gray what was inside it.

"It's about time you idiot. You're supposed to ask her to marry you _before_ you knock her up." Gray admonished, he was happy for them but refused to let Natsu know that.

"Oh will you shut up. I can't make you shut up because Erza will kick my ass if I'm not there once she's done giving birth. So I want to ask you now while I'll have time." Natsu said, eyeing the engagement ring with a contented smile on his face while he ran a finger over it.

Gray's attitude softened and patted his shoulder. "Are you actually worried she'll say no?"

"Of course not! Just a bit worried in general is all. I'm gonna be a dad soon and it won't be long before you and Juvia are parents either." Natsu said, ratting on his friend's secret for giggles.

Gray's eyes widened. "How did you know about me and Juvia?"

"Oh come on man. I'm a dragon slayer and her scent is all over you. And yours is all over her. Wendy noticed it first and asked me what it meant and then I noticed. Because obviously, I don't like to smell you."

Gray frowned. "Fuck you."

Natsu grinned. "That's what Juvia is for."

Gray just sighed and gave him the finger before he leaned back in his chair and tried to relax.

"Hey Gray…be my best man." Natsu asked suddenly. The blunt statement made the ice wizard's jaw hit the floor.

"Where did that come from?" Gray asked, confused at Natsu's behavior. He was pretty sure he'd be banned from everything that involved Natsu's wedding.

"I just want to see your face when I get married before you do." Natsu said with a grin.

"Piss off."

After another hour of talking, a somewhat shaky doctor came into the hallway. "Whoever is Natsu, good luck."

Natsu smiled widely and hurried into the room where Erza was holding their child in a little blue blanket. It had his spiky hair and her hair color, further cementing the fact it was theirs. He tentatively approached the bed and spoke her name.

"Erza? Is that him?"

She smiled at his fear and offered the small child to him. He quickly held it with care. "Yes Natsu, that's him. Did you decide on a name yet?" Erza was really adamant at first to name their son, but Natsu had begged her to let him choose the name. Eventually she caved but if he didn't have one now, then she would name him her damn self.

"Yeah, Nashi Dragneel. Sounds awesome right?" Natsu asked, poking the small child in the cheek with his finger, eliciting a giggle from the small toddler and making his smile grow wider.

She smiled at the name, something about it seemed like it really shouldn't be. But she like the name for some reason. "Yes, it's fine."

Natsu beamed from ear to ear as he held his son and the child suddenly began bawling his eyes out.

Have fun with that fucker.

* * *

Five Years Later

* * *

Nothing terribly different happened over the five years. But thankfully, Nashi had inherited his mother's cool headedness and dislike of fighting in the guild. So there was no second Natsu running around…nah I'm just kidding. Nashi was his father in everything but hair color. Gray was constantly on the verge of insanity.

But he did have a certain attitude change when a little blue haired girl became his friend. Her name was Flora and she was Gray and Juvia's daughter. She had her mother's hair and color, but it was done up in a different way all the time like her mother's. That's right, Gray eventually caved to Juvia's advances and have been inseparable ever since. It was habit around the anniversary of their respective wedding for both of the men to take it in turns to one up the other, and their wives wouldn't stop that ever.

Makarov still hadn't retired, though five years seemed like a blink of an eye to him.

Gildarts had eventually returned from his travels and was taken aback that he'd missed Natsu both get a girl and a family. He'd immediately congratulated him whereupon Natsu immediately challenged him to a fight. And still lost. Raising a family took most of his training time, but he didn't care at all honestly.

If anyone else entered a relationship, both Natsu and Erza made it their mission to embarrass the absolute shit out of the couple to get back for all the embarrassment they had to suffer. Boy did Gray get it when Natsu took photos of his honeymoon and had someone change the picture to make it look like Gray had a tiny dick. Man was he pissed about that.

"I wonder how Natsu is going to react?" Lucy asked as she eyed Nashi and Flora playing together and Nashi acting bashful.

"Natsu? How is Gray going to react? That's what I want to know." Mirajane asked, eyeing the two and laughing as Nashi tripped over his own words as the blue haired little girl offered him a flower.

"Childhood infatuation. Looks a lot like how I acted towards Jellal in the tower." Erza said as she watched with her friends while eating her strawberry cheesecake.

An explanation may be in order, Natsu and Gray seemed unbelievably oblivious to their children's growing friendship. The two had been called away on a specific mission that requested the both of them. To keep them from being days late like the times when they were younger, Erza threatened Natsu with no sex for a month if he started a fight with Gray.

"Those two can't stand each other, wonder what they will do once they learn their kids are the best of friends?" Mirajane asked with a devious giggle.

"Who knows. At least she keeps him grounded unlike his father." After a few more minutes, Gray and Natsu walked in through the guild with huge grins on their faces

"Nashi!" Natsu called out for his son, the boy running up to meet his father.

"Flora!" Gray did the same.

"Yeah dad?" Nashi asked, struggling furiously once he was picked up in his father's iron grip.

"Don't be like that. Your dad just loves to hold you! Now I heard a little something in town from auntie Cana."

"Flora, I heard something too. Now be honest with me okay?" Gray asked with a smile on his face. His daughter did not struggle like Nashi and Gray considered that better parenting. So a win in his books.

"Do they know?" Lucy whispered, receiving unknowing shrugs from the two.

"I heard you got a little crush." Natsu said, walking off to join his wife with his team. Gray walked off to sit with his own water wizard stalker turned wife.

"What?! No I don't dad jeez." Nashi said embarrassed, looking away from his dad's face with a blush on his own face.

"Now indulge you dad for a minute. Who is it? I promise I won't be angry." Natsu continued to press.

"Dad! I don't even know what a crush is!" Nashi continued to deny.

"Then tell me what girl you like being around the most. Mine's your mom!" Natsu said with a smile.

"It better damn well be Natsu." Erza threatened, missing how it was supposed to be a compliment.

Nashi looked a certain direction but quickly looked away when Flora looked at him.

Natsu followed his eyes with a grin until his eyes met Gray's. The two stared at each other confused until looking back and forth between their offspring and them as a terrified look came over their eyes.

"Looks like they didn't." Lucy said with a suppressed giggle.

"OH HELL NO!" Natsu said, sitting up lightning fast and knocking Nashi onto the floor.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER NATSU?!" Gray shouted, doing the same and forgetting the little girl on his lap.

The two lunged at each other and eventually the whole thing devolved into a guild wide brawl. Drinks and tables flying all around in every direction.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

"NOT IF I KILL YOU FIRST!"

Usually, the two of them would have just started brawling with whoever hit them last, but these two simply curb stomped everyone who joined them and continued beating the shit out of each other. Somehow in their minds, beating the other into unconsciousness would suddenly make their child hate the loser's.

"Jeez dad, what's wrong with Uncle Gray anyway?" Nashi said from his seat next to his mother, sharing her strawberry cheesecake with him. Something she wouldn't even share with her husband.

Natsu paused from slamming Gray through a table as the words reached his ears. Then he finished slamming him through a table before running up to his child with a crazed look in his eye.

"You don't call him that! You call him what I told you to call him! Now say it!" Natsu demanded.

"Mom! Dad's freaking me out!" Nashi said, hiding behind his mother who simply looked sweetly at the child.

"What did dad tell you to call him Nashi?" She asked sweetly, Natsu not missing the grip around her fork tightening.

"Mom…he told me to call him the ice eating faggot." Nashi surrendered to his mother's innocent stare before it turned into a deadly angered one as she looked at Natsu.

"You taught him such words?"

Natsu gulped in fear, even with five years of marriage she was still terrifying. "I didn't tell him those words! The ice eating faggot did! Oh shit."

"I see…"

What followed was a vicious beating that Fairy Tail was more than used to.

Makarov stared upon his children with a content smile on his face. "The more things change the more they stay the same." The saying was older than he was, but it fit all the better that way. He smiled even wider, things would get more and more interesting as long as his family kept growing.

* * *

 **A/N: Did I do that? You bet your sweet ass I did! I took what was supposed to be Natsu and Lucy's child's name and made it Natsu and Erza's! Oh that felt unbelievably good.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little crack chapter. See ya around Wednesday!**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Well, I'm at least doing something right if that many people wanted more of this story. Makes me really happy, it really does and I have to thank everyone for all of their support and love for this story. It makes my day to come home and see all of it. My sincerest thanks.**

 **Also in response to reviewer Natsu is Awesome: According to my lightly researched facts, all Hiro Mashima ever said about Natsu and Lucy's hypothetical love child is its name. Japanese names don't actually have masculine sounding names or feminine sounding names. Just that names are more common to belong to either boys or girls.**

 **Anyway, enough of the thanks I know you don't care about, it's time for the continuation of Natsu's efforts! Please enjoy the hilarity.**

* * *

 **"Dragon Slayer Secret Art…"** Natsu began, lifting Nashi over his head and setting his feet for a powerful throw.

"Do it dad!" Nashi said excitedly from his father's hands.

 **"Toddler Bullet!"** The both of them yelled as Nashi was enveloped in his dragon slaying magic that he inherited from his father making a bee line straight for Gray.

Gray was confused at the technique name he hadn't heard before and received a five year old's version of 'fuck you' via a flaming skull head butt that sent Gray crashing into the guild wall and leaving him a twitching mess as his senses were scrambled from the destructive power the toddler had.

That's right, Natsu had eventually broken down his son's resistance and now had his boy join him in all his 'fuck Gray' related matters. Of course, when Erza was there they were the best of friends and no one dared tell her any different. At least ever since he and Gray nearly tore the guild down when their children showed signs of being able to fucking tolerate the other's existence. She was currently out of town on a mission and stated 'she needed a full reward for once in six years'.

Nashi stood atop the defeated ice mage with a grin that matched his fathers and threw up a 'v for victory' sign that his father Natsu responded with the same sign. Nashi stepped off Gray and kicked him in the ribs before joining his dad for a fire bouquet.

What's a fire bouquet? A bouquet on fire. Nashi invented it.

"Natsu you need to calm down with Gray's beatings. Flora looks like she's going to have a mental breakdown." Mirajane said from behind the bar while she set their bouquets on fire.

The two looked over and they saw a little blue haired girl rocking back and forth with her knees brought up to her chin muttering something as she eyed her unconscious father.

"Good!" Nashi exclaimed suddenly. "I'm glad after dad told me what girls like that try and do to guys like me." He finished, pointing his chest proudly before eating his flowers on fire.

"Oh?" Mirajane said, brows rising in curiosity. "Do tell me what Natsu said girls do to you?"

"Cooties obviously. After all, you have them." Nashi explained casually, swiping his father's flowers for giggles when he looked away.

"Natsu…you've been married for five years…where did this come from?" Mirajane said, a sweatdrop forming on her head.

"Erza doesn't have them obviously. Like Elfman said, she's manly. Most other chicks have them." Natsu explained it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world before he leaped up from his seat and smacked a mission flyer down in front of her.

"If Erza asks where we are, tell her I took Nashi on his first mission. Now we'll be gone for a couple of days because it's far away but it's the mission he wanted to do." He looked at the child who jumped off and ran away to grab his things in excitement, and motioned for Mirajane to lean in close and she did.

"I know Erza really wanted to go, but he can't wait any longer. So tell her she can have the next one's first mission." Natsu said with a wink before getting up and following his son out of the guild. Leaving a giggling Mirajane at the bar with his antics.

"What's so funny?" Lucy asked suddenly, watching the display with interest.

"Oh nothing." She began, ending her giggles. "Natsu just said he and Erza might be trying for a second one."

"Aww. He's really a big softy." Lucy said girlishly, beginning to delve into girl talk with Mirajane before the famously always drunken brunette Cana showed up.

"What you guys talking about?" She asked, twenty five mugs deep into a barrel.

"Nothing in particular, just about the guild and everyone in it. And who'll eventually be in it." Lucy answered for her, casting a glance towards her teammate as he slowly rose from unconsciousness.

"Oh god…Mira…alcohol please." Gray asked, grasping Flora in his arms and sitting her on his lap. He knew full well about her freak outs when he fell unconscious.

"You should ask Natsu to stop with those sneak attacks. It's driving Flora crazy." Mirajane said, trying to get Gray to see reason if Natsu refused to.

"That would be heaven Mira, but that's not the reason she has problems." Gray said embarrassed, covering his daughter's sleeping ears to be safe.

Believe it or not, Natsu and Nashi's constant sneak attacks are _not_ the reason for Flora's difficulty seeing her father out cold. In short, Juvia and Gray are… _kinky_ people and one day Flora found them while Juvia happened to be…strangling Gray and he conked out. Scarring the girl for life.

The countless time Natsu called Gray a pervert either rubbed off on him or he was always into the freaky stuff.

"Oh? And what would the blush on your cheeks tell us Gray?" Cana said immediately, a lecherous grin on her face as the powerful ice wizard scooted away from her.

He had to save face at least a little. "Juvia likes…certain things in the bedroom."

The three women stared at him as if he suddenly grew a second head for a solid minute. Making Gray regret ever telling the women as his fears were proven correct when they fell to the ground, utterly consumed with their laughter.

Mirajane was the first to recover, but Lucy and Cana were far from recovering, plus they didn't want to, and wiped the tears that had formed from her eye.

"Oh Gray that's hysterical."

* * *

Two Days Later

* * *

Just as Natsu predicted, Erza returned before them and after not being able to find them at the guild, or their house, she asked Mirajane if they accepted any missions lately or if she'd seen them.

"What a thing to ask. Yeah, Natsu and Nashi left two days ago for his first mission. He said he was trying to wait for you to get back, but Nashi was really being persistent about it." Mirajane explained, telling her what Natsu had told her.

Erza frowned and ordered her usual strawberry cake. "Natsu promised we'd go on his first mission together. He usually keeps his promises."

Mirajane shrugged. "That's just marriage honey. But he did tell me some other stuff, like you can have the next one's first mission to yourself."

Erza perked up at that. Natsu hadn't said anything about wanting another kid, oh the thought made her giddy. "I don't know about him, but I'd love another kid around the place. Keeping them in line is easier than you think."

Mirajane giggled again. "Oh I believe you. Now you can threaten him with things other than violence." She stopped suddenly and put her face right in Erza's and grinned lecherously. "If you get what I mean."

Erza blushed the same shade of her scarlet hair and pushed Mirajane's face out of her personal space. "I don't know what you could possibly mean by that."

Mirajane grinned again at the embarrassed woman. "Oh I think you know exactly what I mean Erza. Something along the lines of dirty, rough, and passionate. Get it yet?"

Erza blushed even deeper and grabbed her cake and left in a huff. Leaving the white haired barmaid laughing at her friend's embarrassment over the simple fact she sleeps with Natsu. Honestly, after five years of her teasing you'd think she'd get over it. But no, and it only made Mirajane's teasing all the more enjoyable.

"That women is insufferable." Erza said with a huff, making Gray and Lucy scoot farther away from the angry women once she sat down. Fearing for their own safety.

"Exactly what does that mean Erza?" Lucy asked, beginning to sweat from the angry aura Erza was the master of exuding.

"She has no business with what Natsu and I decide to do in the bedroom in private." Erza continued to fume, making both Gray and Lucy sweat even more as the table was beginning to creak from the pressure Erza was applying with her hand.

"Here it comes…" Gray cried silently to himself. The last few days without Natsu or his bastard child was heaven for the man, but now Mirajane had gone and gotten under Erza skin something fierce. And now everybody in the guild was going to get it. The only thing stopping her from attacking being the strawberry cake left with her, though little remained of it.

"I don't know what that insufferable wench bothers me so much for…" Erza spat out with venom, breaking the table and standing with the plate in her other hand. She then wound up and threw the little plate with such velocity that if gave Gray a new haircut when it left a little patch of hair in the center of his skull bald.

Mirajane was busily chatting with her siblings Elman and Lisanna before she caught the spinning decapitator with a single hand. How she did that when it gave Gray a haircut he didn't know, but Mirajane suddenly stopped talking with her siblings and was now exuding the same deathly aura that Erza was.

"No one throws my plates." Mirajane hissed. Before transforming into her Satan Soul and destroying the table where Team Natsu sat and leaving the guild in terrified silence.

Yeah, what happened over those five years were simple. Mirajane annoyed Erza with her teasing so much over the five years that their childhood rivalry came back in flames and now they were one hundred times stronger than they were as children.

Gray immediately jumped from his position and raced to the mission board and grabbed a random flyer. Dodging random bodies and furniture before leaping in front of his daughter to protect her from the unceremoniously launched body of his teammate Lucy. He then grabbed his daughter and raced out of the guild in terror. Away from a screaming Lucy who simply called him a 'cowardly bastard' because he abandoned her to the destruction of the guild.

Unknown to Gray, he had actually grabbed a flyer from a mission that sent him to the same place Natsu and Nashi were. And he wouldn't like what he found there.

* * *

With Makarov

* * *

Makarov suddenly stopped talking with the effeminate master of Blue Pegasus and suddenly dropped his beer and grabbed at his chest before dropping to his knees.

"Makarov?"

Makarov didn't respond, h only began to cry heavily at the familiar feeling in his chest.

"My guild…my beautiful guild…"

* * *

Four Days Later

* * *

Erza was beginning to get worried. Mirajane had told her 'a few days' but now it had almost been a whole week. Natsu tended to be on time with his guesses when he was on his own, but with Nashi there with him, he wouldn't take any unnecessary risks right? Even Gray hadn't been seen the last four days, but he didn't really leave as soon as Natsu. So Erza wasn't worried about him, at least not yet.

"Erza, I understand you're worried. But it's Natsu of all people, and Nashi is there. There isn't anything that could happen to them." Lucy attempted to relieve her friends fears, but she seemed unsuccessful when Erza simply sighed in resignation.

"I can't help but worry Lucy, both my husband and son aren't here when they said they would be. You know how Natsu is with his promises. I can't stop thinking about what if something happened. I appreciate the thought." Erza said sadly, getting up and sitting in a secluded area of the guild for a bit of privacy.

Lucy moved to speak again but Mirajane appeared with her food and shook her head. "Natsu's the only one who can prove her wrong and break her out of her funk. Besides, any longer and Erza might just go looking for them herself. That's why I've been leaving her alone these last few days. Her mood just keeps getting worse."

"I can't help it either!" Lucy began exasperated. "She's my friend and I don't like her being the way she is. It's not like her."

Mirajane sighed and sat down with Lucy. "I know. But we'll just have to wait for Natsu to kick in that door and scream 'we're back'!" Mirajane said, doing her best Natsu impression by pretending to kick a door in front of her. "Or we'll just have to wait until Erza loses her patience and goes after them herself."

Just as Mira was explaining this, the doors to the guild burst open and revealed a shocking sight. It wasn't a pink haired dragon slayer with his son screaming that they were back and everybody could stop worrying about them.

"Where's Erza!?"

No, it was instead a frantic looking Gray and an unconscious Nashi in his arms.

When Erza's head jerked up at the sound, her whole world was frozen solid at the sight of her nearly dead son.

"Nashi…" The words escaped her lips before she even understood what was going on, but she was already in front of Gray looking down at the bloody and beaten from of her five year old son before she nearly dropped to her knees in horror. Her tears were already falling in waves as she held her son close, not even noticing everyone crowding around or Gray running off to find Porlyusica and get her to the guild.

Erza pulled him closer in an attempt to keep the weak sound of his heart nearby and prove to herself that her son was alive. She was so unbelievably worried about Nashi that she didn't even ask where Natsu was.

* * *

Later

* * *

"He'll live." The pink haired woman known as Porlyusica said tenderly, looking at the small child and then to his mother. "But I'm not sure how long until he recovers…or if he could use magic again."

Erza couldn't bring herself to look away from Nashi if she was forced to and just continued to hold his tiny cold hand in her own. "All I care about is if he's all right. Thank you Porlyusica, could I be alone?"

The elderly woman nodded and left the room. "Call me if he needs anything."

Like that, she was alone with her son. She was simply too worried to bring herself to say anything or do anything else but hold his hand in fear that he would shatter like glass at even the slightest touch.

After a while, a knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts. "Come in." She'd had her moment, everyone loved Nashi and they were all worried about him; it would be cruel to keep everyone away any longer.

Makarov came in, albeit somewhat awkwardly, and shut the door behind him before floating up and onto a nearby chair. He looked at the young child with tears on the verge of falling, he loved everyone in this guild almost as much as their own father would. And he counted himself such and this sight was almost too much for his old heart to take.

"He's going to be fine. If he has any of you or Natsu in him at all, he'll be fine." Makarov began hesitantly, unsure of how to speak to the grieving woman in front of him.

Erza didn't respond for a moment, beginning to make Makarov think he'd said something wrong. Just as he was about to apologize for being rude, Erza sighed heavily and shakily.

"I see what you mean. But I'm a little worried about what I'm going to do once he recovers. I'm actually a little more concerned about what Natsu will do." Erza said, before silently wondering to herself where in fact Natsu actually was.

Makarov put his hand under his chin before gently rubbing the sleeping child's head. "I wonder about these burns. He's already learned dragon slaying magic from Natsu, so who could of burnt him?"

Erza had been eyeing the injuries herself and been mulling over what Natsu had told her could burn a dragon slayer of fire. "Natsu said something like a god slayer could burn him. As well as a fire mage with flames that are just outright stronger than theirs. Hot to the point they couldn't possibly eat them. And it looked like he tried to."

Makarov closed his eyes in thought for a moment before he crossed his arms. "Do you think Natsu could…"

Erza's head snapped up at what she thought her master was saying. "Let me finish." She was calmer after he said that. Calm enough to stare back at her son.

"Do you think Natsu could be the person who did it? Maybe he did it by accident while fighting off whatever is keeping him from returning." Makarov posed the unhappy question to Erza who simply shook her head.

"You know full well Natsu's flames don't burn anything he doesn't want them to burn." Erza said, why had her master implied Natsu to be the one to do this?

Makarov closed his eyes again before sighing and leaving the child with another gentle caress. "I need to do a bit of intel gathering. I'll leave you alone."

Makarov then left and left Erza on her own. But she wasn't alone for long before another knock surprised her.

"Can we come in?" She heard her son's savor's voice from behind the door and smiled.

"Of course Gray." As she said this, the door opened to reveal Gray leading his daughter Flora by the hand into the room.

He sat down opposite the chair Erza was in and placed Flora on his lap. "Papa? What happened to Nashi?" Flora said worriedly, reaching out and recoiling at the coldness in the boy who'd always been so warm before.

Gray frowned, unsure of how to answer the question. He'd left Flora with Juvia after taking the mission since she wasn't quite ready yet, something he was now immensely relieved about. So he didn't have to answer the question. But now he did.

"Somebody attacked him Flora. Don't worry though, he'll be fine." Gray answered, his fist clenching tightly on the armrest at seeing the child of his best friend nearly dead.

Flora looked worriedly at the boy before reaching out and holding his hand like his mother. Gray placed his hand on her head and rubbed it comfortingly for the next few hours until she fell asleep. The group was in relative silence until she fell asleep. Juvia eventually came in once it got dark out and took her home and told Gray to come back home whenever he felt like it.

"Where the hell is that fire breathing idiot?" He asked suddenly, the whole thing made his skin crawl in so many different ways. Why the hell was Natsu nowhere near his own damn son? The dragon slayer was _extremely_ overprotective of his son, so why wasn't he fucking there?

"I don't know Gray. I don't know." Erza answered honestly, once Nashi was completely safe she'd murder Natsu after she murdered whoever did this to their son.

For the first time since he'd been brought back, Nashi stirred and drew the attention of both Gray and Erza. "Papa…papa…" He muttered.

"Nashi!" Erza exclaimed, forcing herself to not wrap her son in her arms once she noticed he was still unconscious.

"Get away…papa…away…" He continued, beginning to toss and turn in his sleep before he finally jerked up from his sleep.

"GET AWAY FROM ME PAPA!" Nashi loudly yelled, bringing his hands to his head as if he was trying to either hid or forget something.

Before any explanations could be made, a large explosion could be heard from behind them and blew open the infirmary doors. Gray and Erza instinctively shielded the child with their bodies.

Once the dust cleared, they quickly stood protectively in front of Nashi and stopped at the sight in front of them.

"I should of known this little runt would have survived. I'll have to fix that." Natsu said darkly, a small grin on his face before he raised his hand and launched a massive fireball towards the unprepared group. Consuming the three of them in the process.

When they were no longer there, he turned to leave and stepped over the defeated bodies of Fairy Tail and stepped outside and craned his neck before vanishing into the night.

* * *

 **A/N: Another surprise! Who thought this would just be straight crack from this point on? Well it isn't. That shit is hard.**

 **So Natsu seems to have snapped again, or is that Natsu? Probably just another copy.**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Let's get things rolling people, so...people who thought END was going to show up...well, I won't say anything, but Tartaros shows up.**

* * *

The final vulcan of the group hit the ground with a thud, burns on top of its burns and a twitching mess; pretty much a clone of its dozen brothers. Nashi stood atop the leader of the group with a bored look on his face, though he was tired from fighting this many vulcans at once he wasn't really injured. Something that made Natsu beam with pride.

"All right Nashi, let's head back to town." Natsu said, stepping out from his hiding place and patting his son on the back.

Nashi turned around and pointed at his father. "Fight me!"

Natsu stared a bit before an excited grin split his face. "Nope."

He then grabbed Nashi by the head and held him at an arm's length, keeping the hyperactive boy from being able to hit him. Then he began walking back to the town until Nashi decided to stop struggling and gave up.

"Why won't you fight me?" Nashi asked with a huff. Kicking the dirt and muttering something under his breath once he was put down.

"Well, I don't want to hurt you." Natsu said with a grin that was designed to aggravate the boy.

Nashi had steam pouring out of his ears at the proclamation. "I'm not weak!"

"I'm not saying you are. But your mom would kick my ass if you had a hair out of place on your head." Natsu defended his words quickly, he hated being called weak and his son inherited it. So he cleared up the misunderstanding as quickly as he could.

Nashi glared at his father before grabbing a handful of his hair and turning to his dad. "Either you fight me, or I take out my hair and blame it on you!"

Natsu stopped dead in his tracks and began sweating. Unfortunately, his son didn't inherit his lack of a strategic mind and got his mother's.

"You're a clever little twerp you know. All right fine, come at me!" Natsu dropped the back pack he was carrying and stood a little bit away from the grinning boy.

"All right! **Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!** " Nashi yelled, igniting his hand in fire and lunging at his father who simply stood there with his arms crossed.

He sidestepped the boy's charge and flicked him in the forehead with his finger. Grinning when Nashi soon became enraged and flew at him even more tenaciously. He kept the pattern up until he stepped on a pebble and lost his footing.

"Eat it old man!" Nashi said excitedly before driving his fist into his father's cheek as hard as he could. His excitement soon faded when the only damage he had caused was the disfigurement of said cheek because his fist was still driven into it.

"Good job, you hit me. Now come here you little brat." Natsu said with an evil smile before grabbing his son by the wrist and dangling him by it.

"Please spare me dad."

Natsu grinned darkly. "No." He then swung the small child around by his wrist as fast as he could muster until the boy's cries turned into strangled attempts to keep down his lunch.

"Why…is this…genetic?" Nashi muttered, staring off into the distance blankly.

Natsu smiled before placing the wheezy child on his shoulders to let him rest off his new bout of motion sickness. Thankfully it wasn't so bad he couldn't hold him and walk without getting puked on, at least not yet.

"The only bad thing about being a dragon slayer. Come on let's head back." Natsu said with a smile, picking up their back packs and whistling a tune he used to sing to Nashi when he was a baby as he walked.

Just as the city was in view and Nashi was finally relaxed enough to simply enjoy the ride, they both stopped and sniffed the air around them.

"Hey dad, what's that smell?" Nashi asked curiously, he didn't like this scent; it felt weird.

"I don't know either. Hey, are you guys some fans or something?" Natsu shouted out into the wilderness. Over the years, he and pretty much every member of Fairy Tail, he'd developed a pretty big fan club. But this didn't smell like any sort of fan club of his.

"Well, I suppose you could call us a fan club." Said a voice from behind him. The voice's location surprised and he quickly turned around to face the new voice. But he wasn't expecting ten people to be staring at him and Nashi.

One of them was an animal like man with yellow catlike ears poking above his blonde hair with a matching tail. He had blackened hands that ran up his wrists and broke off. Another was a man with a scar on his face who wore an armored chest plate with the word 'Silver' carved into it just above his heart.

A strange one was the golden blob that stood on feet with a cane and armor on its top. One looked fairly normal, except for the black tattoos scattered on her body and the fairly demon like horns that jutted out from under her hair.

There were two extremely tall and muscular ones that towered over the others. One of them was another animal like creature looking one with a cloak and the opposite of a patchy beard and a lion like face. The other one was blue skinned and was spiky, he also had four different individual arms with red tattoos encircling certain parts of his body.

One was also visibly part harpy, she had claws and wore a helmet that hid her face. She only lacked wings to complete the bird woman look. The third tall and muscular one looked a lot like a shark, with plenty of fins that could be plenty sharp enough to slice him apart. But by far the strangest one was the floating skeleton man in a cloak that positively reeked with death.

All of them were standing behind a certain man with a blue and black cloak and long hair with part of it tied in a pony tail with the rest of it dangling over his shoulders. He was also clutching a book in one of his arms that read END on its cover.

Natsu could feel Nashi try and hide himself behind him and glared at the group. He hated it when his son was scared. "You guys are creeping out Nashi, what do you want?"

"Simple, Master E.N.D., we simply ask you to open this book." The man holding the book said, a certain glint in his eye upon seeing Natsu eye the book.

"I think you may have me confused with somebody." Natsu said, lifting Nashi off his shoulders and placing him warily beside his leg so the child could still hold onto him if nervous.

"Certainly not master. E.N.D simply is an acronym for your name." The man in front said, stepping closer and beginning to offer the book to Natsu.

"What's an acronym?" Natsu and Nashi asked. Scratching their head in confusion.

The ten people present _almost_ gaped at the stupidity of the man, if they hadn't already known he was dumb they would have gaped.

"An acronym is something abbreviated by letters, such as your name. It stands for Etherious Natsu Dragneel. That's your true name." The man with the book said, keeping his composure flawlessly.

"Sorry, but I'm going to refuse. You're all a little weird for my taste." Natsu said.

The man with the book smiled. "Oh no we insist, if you do your memories will return."

"Let's get rid of the little human runt first. That should make him listen." Said the man with the cat ears, bringing up a hand and coating the two of them in an explosion.

The man with the book simply stared at the sight and shrugged. "A little soon, but it doesn't matter."

"You know, I was considering opening that book for you guys. But now I'm angry." Natsu said, with a wave of his hand the dust from the explosion vanished and showed Nashi happily eating away at the tasty, new, and explosive food.

"Thanks for the meal mister cat person." Nashi said, finishing up his meal and wiping his mouth with a grin.

The man with cat ears eye twitched in anger visibly at being addressed as a cat when he is clearly supposed to resemble a jackal.

"Well, if you won't open the book, we'll simply have to make you do so." The man holding the book said. With a snap of his fingers, thorns rose from the ground and encircled the small boy.

Or that's what they would have done if Natsu hadn't brought up his fire and surrounded the two with it.

"I'm much more grateful that your mother forced us to learn this." Natsu said from inside the firestorm. Erza had all but forced them to learn a synchronized ability that burnt everything she could throw at it to smithereens. It took awhile, because Natsu kept accidentally burning Nashi, but they had eventually learned it.

"Hey dad, these people seem to know you and they seem pretty nice. Who are they?" Nashi said also from within the firestorm. His nervousness around the group was washed away after eating the cat man's tasty explosion.

Natsu however, was clearly aware of the ominous presence around the group in front of the two of them. They were definitely not here for some sort of fan club, and he was already peeved the tried to blow up his son; so regardless they were getting a beat down.

"I don't know these people Nashi. They're bad people." Natsu said, not dropping his gaze from the group.

 _'And one of them smells just like Gray.'_ Natsu noted to himself, preferring not to speak it out loud before making any conclusions.

"That's not true, you see master, we used to be the greatest of friends. All you have to do is open this book, we can't do it because it's sealed. But if you do it, then your memories will return." The man holding the book said.

Natsu wasn't sure what it was, but every fiber of his being _screamed_ at him to not open the book, so that was what he would do.

"I don't care if you and I were brothers. I'm going to beat every one of you into the dirt for trying to hurt my son like you just did." Natsu said, stepping towards the group and glaring darkly.

The man holding the book simply shook his head and waved his hand. Again, Natsu spotted several thorns flying towards the two of them and their fiery defense shot up again. But just as they reached him, the man wearing the chest plate suddenly froze them and they flew straight through the fire. He was only just able to grab Nashi and jump out of the way.

He clutched Nashi to his chest tightly when he realized they were only targeting him. He swore and jumped away from the thorns that shot out of the ground again. But as soon as he landed, he nearly dropped Nashi when his body was suddenly in agony; causing him to collapse to his knees as every part of his body hurt.

"Be careful Kyoka. Don't hurt the master too much." The man with the book said with a bored gaze.

"If you're wondering what's happening master E.N.D., I've simply increased your sensitivity to pain. A simple tap on the shoulder would feel as if someone impaled you, it must be quite difficult to keep holding onto that pathetic human." The harpy woman said, holding out her hand and placing it back at her side once her job had been done.

Natsu became enraged that they would try and force him to abandon his son, so he forced himself to his feet and engulfed himself in fire. Nashi just buried his head in his father's chest in fear, someone wasn't even touching him and they were keeping his father down.

"If you call him pathetic again, I will personally tear out your throat so you can't speak about him like that again!" He suddenly appeared directly in front of the harpy woman, surprising the group with his speed, and delivering a powerful kick to her midsection and sending her flying a good distance away.

He leaped after her again and was above her in the air before ejecting flames from his back to drive him towards the ground as fast as possible. " **Fire Dragon's Claw!** "

He came down as a blur and sent a large plume of dust to surround them. The sight made the man holding the book smile in glee.

"Seilah, did you do it in time?" The man with the book asked.

"Yes Mard Geer-sama. It was difficult to control the master's body, but I saved Kyoka." The horned demon woman, Seilah, answered.

Inside the dust cloud, it had settled enough for the group to see through it.

Kyoka had risen to her feet and tried to forget how close Natsu had come to crushing her skull. "You should be in a lot of pain right now. I'll take the child off of your hands."

Natsu was too busy staring at his foot as it was buried in the ground, even though he didn't hurt it whatsoever, it felt as if every nerve was burning in acid. But once the woman's clawed fingers grabbed his son and his terrified scream reached his ears, Natsu stopped giving any semblance of care to his body and glared cold blooded murder at the woman who held his son threateningly back with the group.

"You're a dead woman." He said threateningly, but just as he took a step, the woman's fingers extended and stabbed Nashi in the arm. It hurt him more than it hurt Nashi to listen to his son scream in agony like that.

"NASHI! LET HIM GO!" Natsu yelled in rage. Forgetting about everything other than saving his son. But even in his anger, he didn't make a move in terror his son would be brought anymore harm.

"We will as soon as you open this book." Mard said with a grin, playing with humans usually didn't interest him. But playing with the human who _dared_ to lock their master away was quite fun.

Natsu wanted to say no, but his son's pleading look was all he cared about. So with a nod of his head, Mard walked up and handed him the book, but before he let go of it he gave him a warning.

"Don't destroy it or your son will pay."

Natsu nodded his head again and held the book in his hands, whatever it was felt extremely foreign and familiar to him at the same time. So he did the only thing that would protect his son and opened the book.

Nashi stared at his father in worry for five minutes as he stared at the book he was holding. It took even longer until he did something else, and all he did was shut the book and breathe deep.

"Release the little demon." Natsu ordered, glaring at Kyoka who was holding Nashi.

"Master? Is it you?" Mard said, his voice quivering with emotion after seeing his master after so long.

"Do as I told you, release him Kyoka." Natsu ordered, handing Mard the book and stomping towards Kyoka who hesitantly released Nashi after Mard nodded his head that it was their master.

"DAD!" Nashi yelled, hurriedly running to his father and jumping into his arms.

While Natsu held him, Nashi just cried in worry about his father who simply told him that everything was fine and to calm down. Eventually, Nashi calmed down enough to wipe away the tears and for them to stay gone long enough to look his dad in the eye.

"I'm not your father, but I care for you just the same as he did. But this only applies to you little demon." Natsu said warmly, setting the child down and kneeling to be the same height so as to intimidate him as little as possible.

"Dad?" Nash said confused, he never called him little demon before. And what was he talking about by saying it only applies to him?

"Those pests at Fairy Tail _will_ get in the way of my plans if I don't take care of them. Jackal, you come with me, the rest of you take him with you and begin demonizing him. He has incredible potential and I don't want it wasted." Natsu ordered, pointing towards the cat like man, Jackal, who grinned in excitement that their master was already beginning to move, hurriedly stood next to him.

"Certainly master. But why just me?" Jackal asked curiously, he was fully confident no one in Fairy Tail could handle him alone, but was their master just _that_ powerful?

"Because you're all I need. I want an explosive entrance. But first, Kyoka."

"Yes master?" Kyoka answered immediately, only to receive a powerful right hook from an angered Natsu.

"Don't you harm a single hair on my successor's head. Not any farther understood? That goes for all of you." Natsu ordered, glaring menacingly at all of the demons of Tartaros.

"Wait a minute…what's a human doing in my guild?" Natsu asked, sending a questioning glare at the chest plate wearing man.

"He's but a corpse reanimated by me master." The skeletal man answered, bowing his head and ready to accept any punishment dealt out.

"Then see to it he is destroyed after all of this. He smells far too much like Gray of Fairy Tail for my taste." Natsu said, glaring harshly at the man who's jaw visibly clenched at the mentioning of Gray's name.

"That is because he is Gray's father." The skeletal man answered.

Natsu grinned darkly. "That's dark and twisted of you Keyes, I like it. Let's get moving, you all have your orders."

"Dad!" Nashi yelled, getting everyone's attention. Including Natsu's whom was all he wanted.

"Yes, what is it?" Natsu answered bored, he had things to do.

"What are you talking about by taking care of Fairy Tail? Are you going to get their help or something?" Nashi asked confused, his father just had a complete one eighty in personality change and it scared him.

Natsu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Obviously it means I'm going to kill them. You knew that didn't you?"

Nashi's eyes widened and shook in terror. "But…but…you love Fairy Tail. Mom's in Fairy Tail…so is everyone else…how can you say you're going to kill them?!"

Natsu placed a hand on Nashi's shoulder who shook it off and stepped away from him. The action made him stare at his hand with a sad gaze. "I guess you're against me then…please forgive me for this. It's something I have to do."

"Get…get away from me papa." Nashi said in terror, falling on his butt and scooting away from his approaching father as the fear in his body began to rise more and more.

The man in the chest plate had to look away from the following sight, he couldn't imagine being put in the same situation with Gray. He hoped that Natsu wouldn't ever have to see this sight himself, but something told him that the mysterious tome of E.N.D. would see to it that he saw every excruciating detail.

"Leave him be. Let's go. Everybody just head back to Tartaros, place the cube down in the usual spot I'll meet you there." Natsu said, looking away from the painful sight he'd just been the cause of. It may not have been his son, but he still loved him just the same so it hurt.

"As you wish master." Mard said, turning and ordering the demons with him to retreat.

Once he was alone Natsu returned to the spot his son was in, he lit his hand up in flames and poised it to finish the boy off, but his hand trembled and faltered when he knew that deep in his heart he wouldn't be able to do it. So he simply sat next to him and lightly massaged the unconscious boy's head. He relished when he muttered his name while unconscious.

"I'm sorry Nashi, please forgive your father." Natsu muttered to himself, before finally leaving the sight and slowly walking away vaguely in the direction of Magnolia and his true stop of Fairy Tail. Had he stayed ten minutes more, he would have ran into an extremely worried Gray.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, that's a wrap for this chapter. Was Natsu turning END that damn predictable? I feel bad for such an obvious plot twist, I hate doing that...but I guess if it's a good plot twist, it doesn't matter if it's predictable right?**

 **Y'all are too damn smart for me.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Despite being on vacation, I still haven't been able to make myself write and I'll be damned before I post garbage again. But anyway, now that I'm back on a schedule of school I can get back in my pattern of writing again.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

Erza finished with the last of her bandages and turned to give the, now awake Nashi, medical attention he needed. Everything had calmed down enough for everyone to gather and treat the wounded. Gray had been fast thinking enough to shield them with his magic, but Natsu's fire melted right through it. She didn't care all that much anymore, at least not after what Nashi had told her about Natsu. What happened to him.

She was honestly greatly surprised that Natsu hadn't completely burnt the guild to the ground. But she reasoned to herself that the real Natsu was able to hold back E.N.D. and prove he was still in there.

"So we're dealing with the actual Natsu. But we aren't at the same time." Gray said from his seat beside the two, his own injuries had been patched up and after making sure Juvia and Flora were fine, he returned with them to the guild to keep them safe.

"A four hundred year old demon from a book of Zeref isn't Natsu. You know better than that Gray." Erza admonished the ice mage harshly.

Gray kept silent, he didn't want to argue any point of this with her. She wouldn't be able to listen to reason until she beat Natsu half to death. "Forget it. Nashi's all right and I think it's time we listen to what Makarov has to say about this."

Erza sighed before turning to her son. "Are you willing to tell master about this? About your father? Or do you want me to?"

Nashi just looked down. He kept the part to himself how his dad still cared about him because it confused him. He didn't really want to say anything, he just wanted to be near his mom. She'd set things right like she always did.

"No."

Erza nodded her head before picking him up and carefully holding him over her shoulder, so as to not agitate his wounds, and carried him out of the infirmary and towards the agitated master of Fairy Tail.

"Master, I know what happened." Erza began, soothingly rubbing Nashi's back until he started to fall asleep.

"Then let's hear it. I'm tired of Natsu clones, who was it? Dreadmor again?" Makarov stated angrily, tapping his hand against the bar top in agitation.

Erza shook her head sadly. "No, it was actually Natsu. But it was only his body. A demon called E.N.D. took over Natsu's body and attacked Nashi, then he came after us."

Makarov stared in shock before sighing. "How did he get possessed by a demon?"

Erza's face hardened and her fist clenched painfully tight. "The dark guild Tartaros did something."

Makarov was silent for a moment, before he calmly stood and face the guild.

"FAIRY TAIL!" Makarov bellowed to get the guild's attention.

"Our dear friend Natsu has been captured by the dark guild Tartaros." He paused to let this information sink in with the growing anger he could feel in the air.

"So we all understand what this means, Tartaros has attacked and hurt one of our comrades, so we will show them no mercy!" Makarov raised his hand and the guild loudly agreed with him, rousing from their beaten states and cheering for their master in whole hearted agreement. Tartaros would regret not finishing them off.

* * *

With Natsu

* * *

"Master E.N.D., is there any specific reason you left Fairy Tail alive? You said you were going to take care of them." Mard asked, falling into step with the master of Tartaros once he'd finally situated himself in their headquarters after the attack of Fairy Tail.

"No real reason other than curiosity." Natsu began, cracking his neck after his long walk back to Tartaros.

"I thought you hated playing with humans." Mard questioned, opening the door to where E.N.D.'s throne room was.

"Usually yes. But as you know, I was part of that guild for quite a long time. They have done many deeds in the past where they should have fallen. But yet they pressed onward and managed to defeat anybody in their way. I wish to see if they have the power to do the same thing with us." Natsu explained, sitting down on his new throne and stretching out lazily on it.

"Of course," Natsu started again. "The regeneration room will be protected at all costs. So if any of you are defeated, which I believe even you will be Mard, then I won't lose any of my reinforcements against Zeref. That's actually another reason, I don't want any interruptions when I finally face the man and they will definitely be one."

Mard looked taken aback at the statement. "You believe Fairy Tail is powerful enough to stand up to all of us? Even defeat us? They're only mere humans."

Natsu laughed openly at the pure raw disbelief in Mard's eyes. "So is Zeref. But, now that I think about it, that confidence of mine in Fairy Tail was usually because Natsu thought he could handle anything in his way…"

He changed his posture in the throne, sitting up and placing a hand underneath his chin. "Perhaps Fairy Tail needs more of a motivation to defeat us…"

He thought in consideration for a moment. "Send out the Nine Demon Gates to cause some destruction. Fairy Tail is going to start searching for us and if my… _wife_ , for lack of a better word, shows up I want her brought here. I think a conversation between us would be quite interesting indeed. Bring the little demon here if he's found, but don't explicitly search for him."

Mard bowed in compliance with his master's wishes. "May I ask why you're interested in that woman? Do you still have lingering feelings for her like your son?"

Natsu shook his head, "No not really, but sort of I guess. I can ignore the feelings I have for that woman. But for my son it's different, he's a part of me and I can't deny it. Plus, I've always kind of wanted a successor. But he seems to want nothing to do with me willingly." He paused for a moment before laughing lightly and dismissing Mard to do his bidding.

"I guess if I still want that woman after all this, I could just break her mind with Kyoka's help." Natsu smiled to himself lecherously at the thought. "Pain doesn't work on you Erza…but your _husband's_ touches might just do it; with a little help of course."

He smacked his hand onto his throne's arm rest and had a delightful smile on his face. "Oh I've been asleep for four hundred years; I want to raise a little hell myself."

* * *

With Fairy Tail Three Days Later

* * *

"Erza, I want you and Lucy to investigate a claim in a nearby town." Makarov said, looming over several papers on a table in the middle of Fairy Tail. The guild had pulled its resources and began searching every which way and location for Tartaros's location and information on its members.

"Understood. Perhaps we will run into Mira's team out there. They are nearby right?" Erza said curious. Grabbing the celestial wizard in question who was nearby trying to avoid everybody running about.

"Yes, your second objective is to meet up with Mira's group and perhaps handle whatever situation is there." Makarov elaborated, dismissing them with a wave and returning to the maps where Tartaros sightings, and specially marked sightings of Natsu, were pointed out.

Erza hesitated for a moment. "You're sure Nashi will be safe? It felt like Natsu had targeted him specifically."

Makarov turned back and gave the worried mother his full attention. "Absolutely, Nashi will not fall into harm's way so long as Fairy Tail has a soul still left in it."

With her fears alluded for the time being at her master's words, Erza and Lucy left the guild and quickly headed towards the train station and boarded the nearest train to their target. They were able to board quickly since Erza had a large poster with her name on it that every employee was forced to remember. It read 'do whatever she says and don't question it. Or pain will follow.' Some rumors say she put it there herself.

Once the train began moving towards their destination Lucy tried to start a conversation. "Like master said, we don't have to worry about Nashi. He's completely safe at Fairy Tail."

Erza sighed before glaring out the window. "It's not that, I'm worried about him, but I'm currently worried about how we clear Natsu's and Fairy Tail's name after this is all over and I can have my family again."

Lucy took a moment to figure out how to respond. "It's similar to Jellal's situation right? The council eventually pardoned him so they'd understand if we bring evidence right?"

Erza said nothing for a moment. "That could work, but we had to publically denounce Natsu as a member of Fairy Tail or we'd be disbanded. I don't think it would work out so simply."

They lapsed into silence and just stared at the sights passing by the train. But someone passed by them and Erza caught the slightest glimpse of a long yellow tail underneath his figure hiding cloak. She'd recognize that forever. With a more careful observation, but stealthy regardless, more animal like features showed themselves. Elongated canines, cat ears, and a small nimble tail poking out of the bottom. He pulled out a newspaper and began filling in a crossword.

"Lucy, pay no attention to it, but there is a member of Tartaros to the left three seats back." Erza said, a furious expression settling onto her face.

Lucy's eyes widened and she couldn't help but glance at the man three seats back and stare at Erza in confusion. "How do you know?"

"He matches the description of the one called Jackal that Nashi told me about." Erza clarified, fist tightening in anger even farther as the memory of her son telling her everything he remembered about Tartaros and how scared he had been the entire time.

Lucy still looked worried. "Then what do we do?"

Erza stared straight at her. "You protect the passengers. Get them off this train. I will deal with him."

No sooner did she say this did Erza stand from her seat and begin walking angrily towards the man. But he stood from his seat and began walking peacefully straight towards her, carrying the newspaper under his arm, and moving to the side to let her pass him.

But Erza would have none of that and requiped a sword into her hand and was poised to stab the man, but a fierce grin and a powerful stare halted her actions.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned, subtly adjusting his hand underneath his cloak and aiming his palm towards her.

"Using the passengers as hostages won't work." Erza countered what she thought was his plan. At this, the train suddenly stopped and the conductor's voice rang out over the loud speakers.

 _"Attention passengers, we are experiencing technical difficulties and would request everyone to leave the train. This is not a drill."_ The speaker in the corner of the train spoke loudly.

At the words, he only smiled widely. "That just makes this easier."

Before Erza could react, an explosion suddenly engulfed her and blew a hole in the train behind where she'd been standing. The explosion created multiple burns and small cuts on her face and the rest of her exposed skin, as well as shattering her sword and armor.

The man laughed and blew another hole in the ceiling and jumped through it, making Erza swear loudly and follow him through it.

When he saw she followed him through his hole he grinned and tossed the cloak hiding his frame to the side. "You're little stunt to stop this train isn't going to work. Erza." The now revealed Jackal said with a maddening grin as the passengers below the train were beginning to freak out at the explosion.

"How did you know my name?" She demanded, thinking of how to get the panicking citizens away.

"Master E.N.D. went into great detail with who you were Erza." Jackal said with a smile.

"E.N.D. is the name of the demon who possessed my husband I assume?" Erza said with anger present in her voice.

"No not really, he just recovered his memories. Your _Natsu_ doesn't exist anymore." Jackal explained, spitting after saying the man's name who used his master's body in disgust.

Erza's vision turned red at the tone of which Jackal said Natsu's name and requiped into her Black Wing armor. "EVERYONE LEAVE-" She began her warning to everyone, but the train began moving again, throwing her off balance and causing the perfect opportunity for Jackal to explode the air in front of her, damaging her armor and knocking her onto the next train car.

"How did you start the train again?" Erza asked immediately, shaking off the minor inconvenience of the explosion and preparing for anymore explosions as best she could.

"Well-AHH!" Jackal began, a bright glow slamming into his back and cutting him off midsentence. A blonde celestial wizard appeared next to her. Her orange haired spirit landing next to them as well.

"Lucy! Loke! What are you two doing up here?" Erza demanded, putting her focus back on the recovered, and now angry, Tartaros member who was now back on his feet.

"We have to go right now Erza." Lucy said hurriedly, turning a pleading gaze towards the redhead.

"I agree, we don't have any time." Loke said in agreement, he didn't want to stick around for what was to come.

Jackal grinned ear to ear. "Oh you found him huh? Well, you better listen to her Erza."

"What are you talking about?" Erza asked confused. What the hell did Lucy find?

"Get off this train." Said a familiar voice behind the two of them. An arm reached out blew a hole in the center of Loke's chest and dispersed him back into the spirit world. Before they could react, a hand grabbed Lucy's head and tossed her off the train.

"Lucy!" Erza shouted, that kind of injury wouldn't hurt her terribly, but she wasn't a physical fighter so there might be a problem there.

"You! Bastard-" Erza turned to face the new person who decided to interrupt them and her breath was stolen right from her throat.

"Hello Erza." Natsu said with a mischievous smile as his wife unconsciously reached a hand out to touch him.

"Natsu…" Erza uttered under her breath, noticing her arm was reaching out to touch her demon possessed husband. She cursed and backed away from him, forgetting that there was a third member on top of the train.

"It's been a while, how about we play catch up at my place? Maybe you can bring our son with you?" Natsu teased with his despicable smile still on his face.

With those simple words, Erza was reminded that the thing in front of her was an emotionless four hundred year old demon that wanted nothing more than the destruction of everything Natsu created with his own two hands.

"I'll never bring Natsu and I's child anywhere near you." She forgot about Jackal being on the roof until two hands were placed on the side of her head.

"Don't say that name." Jackal said with an angry growl. He used his explosion curse directly next to the redhead's own head. Knocking her unconscious and making her unrequip back into her standard Heart Kreuz armor.

"That may have been a little too far. You could have killed her." Natsu said without worry, picking up the out cold woman and tossing her over his shoulder.

Jackal waved the matter off with a casual and mirrored unworried tone. "Not like it matters, besides if she was your wife then she's more than tough enough to take that."

Natsu smiled at his friends humor. "Keep in mind _I_ didn't choose her, that human Natsu chose her as his wife. I don't think there is a creature alive strong enough to be my wife in this time."

Jackal shrugged and jumped off the moving train, his master following suit almost directly afterwards. While the two of them wrapped each other up in conversation, Erza used the last of her strength to place an unnoticeable seal on her body to keep Natsu from noticing it. It would transmit her location straight to the guild and then they would assault the location of Tartaros. Wherever it may be.

But unfortunately for her, Natsu did notice her moving and suddenly tossed her to the ground and grabbed her wrist.

"Do you take me for the same fool that married you?" Natsu said darkly, stomping on the woman's face and driving it into the dirt.

Erza glared as best she could from underneath his foot and refused to waver and grasped Natsu's wrist in her hand as tightly as she cold in a silent refusal to submit.

"I can't wait to have Kyoka help me break you." He said with the same lecherous smile that came to his face when he first had the idea.

"But I'm going to let you transmit that to the guild. Don't think we aren't ready for you. Jackal." Natsu said suddenly, getting attention of the bored cat man.

"Yeah?" He asked with a bored tone.

"Go and round everybody up." Was his simple order.

"All right! Time to get bloody." Jackal said enthusiastically

With his piece said, the cat man was gone and left the two alone. Once he was gone though, Natsu sighed and released Erza's wrist and his foot from her head.

"Natsu?" The strange action confused her, she expected him to continue with whatever torture method he was about to inflict on her. She wasn't expecting mercy, her belief that Natsu was still somewhat in control of his actions was beginning to solidify even further in her mind.

He ignored her utterance of his name and posed a question that was on his mind. "Out of curiosity, is Nashi okay from my attack?"

She hesitated in answering him, but if Natsu was going to come back, then he'd need as many reasons as he could to keep fighting. "He's fine, you didn't even-"

He silenced her by picking her up and putting her back over his shoulder. "I didn't need to hear the rest of that. Just answer what I ask of you and you'll get along fine with me."

Erza's glare hardened, though he couldn't see it or notice it. "I will never be subjugated to you or any member of the guild that took you away from me."

Natsu readjusted her so that her back was curved around his head, with one hand resting on her thighs and the other around her neck. He tightened the hold until she began crying out in pain.

"I did not give you permission to speak, when we are alone in Tartaros is when you will be allowed to speak your piece. Though, it will be the only time you're allowed. As punishment for speaking out of place, you will be carried like this all the way to Tartaros or until I get bored."

Erza silently thought to herself about what that could mean. Did it mean Natsu was going to spill his plan to her and try and get her to play along with whatever it was he had planned? Despite being in this painful hold, she noticed the care in which it was implemented and the protective grasp from both of his hands. Even though they were the ones causing her pain, she could only smirk.

 _'Natsu isn't going to surrender to you bastards.'_

* * *

 **A/N: That wraps up this chapter, I have a nice way I plan for the next few chapters. But keep in mind, Tartaros isn't going to randomly appear over Fairy Tail in this one. Fairy Tail is going to have to storm them themselves.**

 **Anyway, please tell me if you enjoyed.**


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